Comets That Collide
by Miss Nae Malfoy
Summary: Edward Cullen is that of an intelligent man with a hefty inheritance and an unhealthy obsession for Bella, the beautiful freshmen attending USC in LA. Will he make his senior year in college worth it, and what new parts of his life will she uncover? What would it take to keep such a gorgeous girl on his arm? Edward is about to find out what really happens when two comets collide.
1. Hello Again, Friend Of A Friend

There she was again; her shiny, soft-looking brown hair that smelled great, like strawberries when she passed me in the halls. I looked down at my Chemistry outline that was due in three days. It was far too easy for a group of three, but my other two partners made up excuse after excuse not to help- it was a benefit that I had not much of a social life and was able to do all of my homework on my own, no matter the assignment. My mother often remarked how that was a gene passed down from her own father- the ability to do anything I set my mind to. I just wished that were true with girls. No matter how much I admired the beauty I often encountered in the library, I could never approach her. From the way she smiled, no lip gloss on but somehow her lips still shined to the way she wore her trendy clothes. Today it was a snug-fitting hoodie with our University's name and mascot blasted across it, and those complimenting jeans. Her name was probably something regal, and unique. Because that's exactly what she was.

Not that I was some kind of creepy stalker, or anything. I had come to this library for an hour after the last class of my day since I started at this school- she just barely began arriving at the start of the new semester. Sure, I wasn't completely thrown away by society- my father was an important man in the industry of buying and selling big businesses and my sweet mom had been with the big shot lawyers until she began working with Cullen Enterprise- from them, she became a mother. I had one sister and one cousin I came to call brother… but that was for another time. I had a paper to ignore and a girl to sneak looks at. "Ed, man!" Riley Briers slapped down on my shoulder roughly, and it was a good thing that I had body-builder Emmett to grow up with- else I would have crumbled with a series of winces. "How's it coming along?" he looked over my shoulder at the paper I filled out last night before I went to bed. My little sister urged me to create a profile on the more popular social networks, DotCom- while I was attempting to add one of the many friends she had suggested to me, I figured I may as well continue with homework that wasn't due. It was far more entertaining.

"Fine." I murmured, hating that he was peering over my shoulder. Why was he talking to me? Sure we had a few classes since Freshmen year, but I didn't see what made him actually _socialize_ outside of class with me. People like Mike Newton and Tyler Mewry used me for answers and then moved on. I was not popular. I was not cool. I was not even existent in most people's eyes. So why the hell did Riley keep bothering me? Why didn't he just spit out and be blunt about it like they were?

"Hey, look, man- I got this paper due in Ag tomorrow and I was wondering-" He began quietly.

"If I could do it so you won't have to call home and say you failed yet another class in your college life?" I finished for him, biting the side of my cheek spitefully.

Riley had an odd look on his face as he sat across the table from me and tossed his backpack on his lap, scrounging through his few folders. "You need to chill, Ed." He sighed and finally fished out the article he was looking for and handed it over to me. It was a paper filled with words and paragraphs. "I was wondering if you could look over it and be like an editor for me, or something." Riley shrugged, a coarse hand rubbing the back of his neck. "If you're not busy." The blank look he had in eyes told me that he said the last comment with pure intentions- he actually assumed that I had something to do on a Wednesday night? He didn't think that just because I was a mega-brain that I had no other components to my life? Maybe Riley was different.

I nodded slowly. "Sure."

Riley's smile was sort of big, like it was trying to overtake his face. "Perfect, thanks, man! I don't get paid until Sunday, so I'll slip you some money then…" I didn't quite hear him as the beautiful girl shifted in her seat, rubbing her palm against her forehead in some sort of frustration. She had been obsessively leaning over a textbook since I got here. I wondered what it would be like to be that frustrated over something- how it would feel to touch on a new subject and not immediately understand it. I supposed I would never know. Riley's mouth moved quickly, but I didn't hear a word. I only saw her for the moment- she was tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and grimacing at something on her desk.

I quickly looked away before the tent in my pants became noticeable. What was I, sixteen in high school still? Jeez, I needed to get a life! "Oh, no, Riley. It's just some short editing." I shrugged, not wanting it to a fuss.

Riley looked behind him, obviously trying to follow where my attention had been held. "Do you know her?" He asked casually.

My brain reeled. What was he up to? I knew Riley was real popular with the girls- who could resist a man on a full-ride scholarship for Soccer, with a dusty, old Camero and a minimum wage job? If he got a hold of this girl and realized just how beautiful she was, I could never fantasize about her anymore. She would be categorized as one of _those_ girls. I knew I would never actually have her, but I still wanted to forever fantasize about the life we could have had, had I not been such a little coward! "No." I shook my head pointedly, looking back down at his paper.

"Hey, Bella!" Riley called out, quiet enough to not stir the snoozing librarian but loud enough to get the attention of a few people around us. The beautiful guy looked instantly, looking around at who called her name. When her eyes landed on us, a bright smile erupted on her face. It almost felt like she was smiling at me, but when she gathered her things and approached our table, her attention was set on Riley. "Hey, girl, sit with us." He pointedly threw his backpack on the chair next to him, making her maneuver around the table to my side.

"Can I sit here?" Her voice was softer than I imagined, and I loved it. I nodded and rudely looked away. What else was I supposed to do? I fantasized about kissing her, not actually talking to her! "So, what are you guys up to? Going to Drake's birthday party tonight?" Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown than I thought, and the way she leaned on her elbows against the table was just adorable.

"I don't even like that guy, and I hear the beer won't be free tonight." Riley scrunched his nose in disgust. "Dated his older sister last year. That whole family's got problems." He laughed easily. "_Are_ you going?" There was a deadly undertone in his voice; how dare he speak to _Bella_ like that? She was delicate and sweet! I doubted her was her boyfriend; else he would have socked my lights out the first time he caught me staring. The possessive way he asked about her plans made me think they were somehow together… I sighed at that.

"No." Her voice sounded deflated. "I've got a hot date with an overdue math assignment tonight." She rolled her eyes regally. Bella suddenly turned to me with her had out. "I'm Bella, by the way. What's your name?" I looked down at her hand and gulped, stuck on a moronic mode for a few extra seconds. She was offering her hand to me? Boy, I was so naïve! I finally took her hand and shook it.

"Ed-…Edward Cullen." I choked out, waiting for a dawn of realization to strike in her eyes. But there was none; she just kept smiling and released my hand.

"Are you going to Drake's party?" It was amusing that she would even ask such a thing. I felt like saying, "just look at me!" My plain grey zip jacket and dark blue jeans weren't quite so stylish, and the lack of a tamed expression in my hair made me unruly in the fashion world. Did I look like I dressed up for parties?

"Nah, Edward's not the party type. Look, I gotta get going. Are you sure you're cool with looking it over for me?" Riley looked at me pointedly.

I heard Bella's high-pitch squeal of protest. "Oh, honestly! Jeez, Riley, you don't know how to use spell check? What, you don't think Edward has his own stuff to do?" My face turned a bright pink when she said my name. Was she somehow… standing up for me?

"Cool it, firecracker. Ed is a buddy of mine- he's _way_ better than spell check." The scruffy blond winked at me. We were… buddies? I never had a "buddy" before.

"Uh! And you didn't think of asking me?" She tipped her head in an angle to better glare at him.

"Why would I ask a girl? That's just dumb." He shrugged and walked off, a wide grin plastered on his face as Bella angrily spluttered.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I hope your piece of shit breaks down!" She called after him. Wow… just what kind of a relationship did they have with one another? I hoped they weren't exes, and I hoped they weren't best friends either. I wanted Bella to be my little secret. I wanted her to be my little gem that I only I got to enjoy. Bella turned and rolled her eyes, a goofy smile on her face. Mood swings? "My cousin is such a loser." Oh, well that indentified it. Cousins were a lot like brother and sisters- except, when they fought their rebound time was cut down by half. Alice had been the same way with Jasper, our cousin from Texas. "Look, Edward, you can give me that essay if you want. I know you probably sympathize for Riley, but I swear, he's not as dumb as he looks."

"No, I don't mind it." I held the paper firmly in my hand. "Do you think you will… need any help with your work?" I gestured to the notebook wedged in-between her Trigonometry book.

She shook her head stiffly. "No, I'll figure it out." She added with a small giggle of her own. "I've seen you here before. I'm sure you haven't noticed me." Her slim shoulders sagged lightly, and I wanted to touch her face at that moment more than I wanted to take my next breath. _Of course I've noticed you, who wouldn't?_ "Are you a senior here, or what?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be graduating soon enough."

She nodded in understanding. "I'm a sophomore. I wish someone would have told me how quiet this place was, I would have had some easy study peace a lot sooner." Bella's shy laughter made me ease in my seat. It was so comfortable talking to her; she was the easiest person in the world to have a conversation with it. She let me babble on about my Major in Business and my father's company, while she sat in content silence and popped an odd question or two. Once I began to drabble on with my universe chaos theory, I knew to stop. Either I had to shut up or I was going to lose her. I didn't want the conversation to end so soon- I never wanted it to end. I sent the broad spectrum- "what about you" question, and for a minute she stared at my face in concentration. "I was undecided my first year, but now I'm a Linguistic Major. I'm planning on minoring in public relations or child development. I haven't decided which yet."

"You want to be a bilingual kindergarten teacher?" I didn't outwardly scoff at her choices, but I made a mental note to filter out some of my opinions. The slightly crestfallen look on her face made me cringe at my sudden asshole-ness. "I didn't mean to offend you, Bella."

She shook her head. "Its fine, I understand." Bella forced an awful, strangled chuckle out. "I can understand why my Major and Minor sounds so stupid, compared to the extravagant line of study you're going into. And I don't want to be a teacher- I want to be a part of a big company one day. But I want to be able to care for children and understand their developing minds. My counselor said that it wouldn't look good on my transcript and that I should just stick to Public Relations- learn how to speak in front of crowds and work in a professional setting." There was a flat tone when she began to talk about that aspect of her career.

"Then I say pursue your Child Development Minor." I just wanted her to be happy- I wanted to see her smile. I wanted her to laugh- I loved that sound. It was addictive.

"You think so?" Her sideways smirk made me nod and blush- why was she looking at me like that, as if I was the first person to appease her attention? Her phone vibrated loudly, and it felt as if it was in my pocket and not her own. Bella attended to her text message and looked up at me with a reserved expression. "My roommate just texted me, she needs me to pick her up from practice." I opened my mouth to tell her something, like "stay", but I couldn't find the strength. I had been Superman long enough for today. I needed to remember that I was here for an education before I went on to Grad School- I was never interested in the ladies of USC. But Bella… she was so different.

Her hands were quick in shoving everything in her leather shoulder bag as she got up from her chair and towered over me- well, not necessarily. I was almost a foot taller than her, so I at a sitting point didn't even begin to give her the height advantage. "Well…" She cleared her throat roughly. "I guess I'll see you around?" I nodded, not wanting to spoil the moment as she walked away with my clumsy words.

What just happened?


	2. Sharp Knife of a Short Life

My eyes roamed over the blank walls of my luxurious apartment. Bella. I smiled to myself, rolling over onto my side as I stared at the sliding doors in my bedroom. A small, midnight run sounded inviting. It would help get a lot off of my mind, but I just didn't feel like getting up. Speaking to her yesterday… I was still on the high she gave me. It was like a toast of fine wine, her voice. And that brilliant smile of hers! It radiated Gama rays like the sun did to its universe. She was oh so perfect- I could never have imagined her being so sweet and _that_ pretty. It seemed impossible. A jingle of a ring tone reached my ears from the next room. No one important had my number- anyone like Bella. It was probably my mother or sister, so I let it go to voicemail as I stayed on my bed.

The rings kept coming; how many times were they going to call? I finally got up and scrounged around for my cell phone. I tossed around my Anatomy & Psychology book until I found it. "Hello?" I said breathlessly. Was it some kind of emergency? Was someone dead? It was nearly early morning, and I knew none of my family had the tendencies of a night owl like I had.

"Hey, dude! It's Riley." I was shaken by his loud voice, as if he was shouting over a million people around him.

"Oh, um, hi." I replied awkwardly. How did he get my number? Why did he dial it, anyway?

"I got your number from the last time we were partners. It's cool that I called, right? I mean, you did say you usually stayed up pretty late." I could hear a giggling girl in the background. Where was he? He probably needed a lift somewhere, or he was in jail and needed me to bail him out. What other logical explanation was there?

"Yes- yeah, I mean, its cool." I was glad we weren't face-to-face. Guys like Riley were always too collected when they spoke. I always felt like I was saying something stupid.

"Ah… _rad_." He chuckled, obviously used to my awkward silences. "I called to invite you to this little… shindig at Blackout's in an hour. It's a chill ass place, bro. Lots of girls, no drama." I blinked at the phone. He was inviting me to a party? A party happening at twelve o clock at night? "I didn't know if midnight parties were your taste, but one of my bros bailed last minute on a ticket. I figured I'd call a reserved friend to come hang. The owner of the club is a good friend of mine, but he doesn't like the rowdy crowds coming in. You were the first person I thought to offer the ticket to."

I heard about Blackout before. It was a three story club that showcased live bands on weekends; it was a widely popular hotspot, especially for college kids. I never felt compelled to attend, and no one had invited me before… no one ever invited me to anything. "I'm not sure." I drawled slowly. Was this some kind of cruel joke? I bet he and his buddies were standing around, laughing manically at my naivety.

"Look, dude, it's a blast. The VIP section we got is a sweet spot on the top floor, with free drinks all night and four hours of stellar ass music. Not to mention the dance floor- you can meet a pretty little lady and take her back to your place." I chuckled; even he knew that was not likely. I didn't take girls to my house, ever. College girls… most of them were too nauseating and ill-tempered. Everything was a game and joke to them. In their minds, men were toys and pawns- I didn't need to feel played. That's why I stopped trying to date and get the attention of girls in my high school years. It wasn't worth the pain and it wasn't worth the melodramatics.

I had shed enough tears for female villains in my teens. "It sounds great, but I just don't think-"

Before I could finish the sentence, his voice popped over mine. "Bella's gonna be there." My heart lurched forward, taking me to my room with scuffled strides. I threw open my closet and looked around wildly.

"Are you sure they will let me in? I hear Blackout is "popular" only type of club." His snicker on the other line made my face color. Did he have to laugh at all of the stupid things I said?

"Not even! That's just stupid, Edward. Once hand over your two hundred dollar ticket, they'll let you in, believe me." He then proceeded to give me directions (which weren't necessary, as my GPS didn't rely on landmarks and donut shops to direct me there). "And then when you pass the second McDonald's just make a quick left. Got that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, thanks, Riley. Are you sure Bella's going?"

"Yeah, I'm going to get her right now. Here's a tip- do your hair all wild like you did yesterday. It drives her hopelessly crazy." Do my hair to tempt her? I didn't do my hair yesterday; I just didn't take the time to comb it. But if Bella liked it, I would make it happen. When Riley hung up, I got to work on my look. I tossed aside countless jeans and slacks. What would Bella like most? Did she go for the ripped jeans look? I had a sharp pair of scissors in the kitchen, and tearing up a pair of jeans wouldn't break my bank account. Did she like the uptight look? My mother forced me to buy a pair of crème chinos a few weeks ago, and I had plenty of buttons up.

Jesus, why was it so hard to pick one piece of clothing? It wasn't like it mattered what I wore, anyway. I was still an awkward, geeky little boy. That's all I could ever be. I finally decided to slip on some dark blue jeans and a V-neck tee that Alice demanded me to buy in multiples. Before glancing at the mirror of my living room, I grabbed my light coat and walked out of the door. I had no great expectations for the night.

Blackout definitely stood out from all of the other clubs I had seen before. The line for the average crowd to get in was long enough to reach the next stop sign, and so I was relived to be escorted right in with Riley and his posse. I saw Bella almost as soon as I recognized Riley by the front doors. "Ed made it!" Riley called, making some of his friends laugh expectantly. So he hadn't really expected me to show? I didn't expect me to come either! "Hey, Bellsie, Ed came!" Riley called behind him, where she was conversing with two other guys with her back to us. Bella's body whipped around at her name being called, and her bright eyes settled on me happily. She was happy that I was here? I felt honored to bring a smile to her face. Actually, I felt… _strong_. It made me feel _manly_ to emit an emotional response from Bella.

Was this what the stroking of an ego felt like? All I knew was that I liked feeling on top of the world; I didn't care that it gave me a King Kong Complex. I was only proud of myself for stepping forward and encompassing her with my arms; we hugged like we were old friends from long ago. I was surprised to find her arms wrap around my shoulders; so she wasn't put off by my arrogant touching? She didn't mind me hugging her so fondly, and inappropriately? I blushed at the other things I wanted to do to her. The testosterone bubbles defizzled when she stepped back. "Glad you could make it." There was still a dazzling smile on her face. It was a wonder how she could look even more beautiful in that moment than ever before. The dark makeup and outfit she wore accented every last endowment she owned. From her facial beauty to her curvy body, I fell in lust too quickly. The smooth, black fabric of her mini skirt and silk, ruffled top that was tucked into it drew all of the eyes to just _her_.

I wasn't usually a leg type of man, but the way the flower-printed see through panty hose hugged her claves and mid-thigh had me going crazy. I could barely make out her shoes in the dark of the night; did they have some kind of flower on them? A big part of me didn't care. I kept my eyes on the one exposed shoulder- I wanted to plant a soft kiss there. Would she allow me? Bella stayed by my side as we made our way into the club. "Stay close. Some of these guys try to get a little handsy when they see a pretty girl." Riley muttered to Bella, eyeing me expectantly. I nodded, grasping Bella's hand in mine as we circled the already-full dance floor. Some brand of techno music was pulsing all around, bouncing off of walls and rumbling in our chests. Riley expected me to take care of his little cousin, and I would.

I had gotten into enough scuffles in my childhood to bare within me the art of fighting. By the time I was ten, I was tired of getting beaten at recess and after school. I didn't want to lie to my mother about black eyes and busted lips anymore. I wanted to be left alone. And so I approached my godfather, our neighbor from down the street. Toufer McCartney taught me everything he taught his son, Emmett. I never lost a fight to those asshole school boys, ever again. When I came to USC, I didn't have that problem anymore. People stayed mostly to themselves, and weren't always looking for a problem. We waited as Riley ordered his first drink of the night before climbing up the steps to the closed off section that the tickets mentioned. "Fancy." I murmured into her ear, making her giggle loudly.

I loved that sound. Riley twisted his neck around, staring at both us with a smirk before turning his attention back to his companion. "They look cozy, huh?" Bella whispered back into my ear. I had been so turned on, but the way her warm breath tickled my ear just right… I blinked a few times as to dispel the arousal I was beginning to feel. How was I going to last a whole night like this? All lustful and such! We shared a plush booth, overlooking the stage that was booming loudly. The band members were mostly women, with the bass drummer being the only male. "Well, they've only known each other for a few hours." She finished and laughed again.

I looked down at her; the height difference was funny, really. Even with her tall heels, I was still far above a head taller. I liked that, a lot. "We've only known each other for two days." I pointed out. I liked that we had to lean into each other to talk. It was warm and inviting gesture to be close to her. Except tonight, she didn't have that irresistible strawberry smell to her. It was more of a expensive perfume, and it made her smell purely… provocative. Every time I leaned in to say something, I took a good whiff of it.

"Yeah, but we've seen each other around a lot. And we aren't sucking off each other's face." She gestured to her cousin, who was just about devouring his partner at the bar stool area they resided on. Bella grimaced. "Protect my virgin eyes, Edward; I don't want to witness it!" She teased playfully, grabbing a hold of my t-shirt. I slung an arm around her shoulder and brought her closer. My mother would have killed me if she saw me be so close with a woman I barely knew. I had scruples and morals, yes. But Bella was so damn tempting! Bringing her closer was just an automatic reaction of mine. We talked some more about classes and our family before she licked her lips and sighed. "I'm gonna have Riley to get a drink for me." She held up her wrist with a yellow band on it- meaning she was still under twenty-one and didn't qualify. With an elegant roll of her eyes, she sighed again. "I'll be right back." She dismantled her body from my touch.

I was stricken cold as soon as she got up. So I shot up and blocked her way, instantly trying to wipe away the eager face I knew I had. "I'll get you a drink." I shrugged, playing it off like I was just offering to be casual. I really wanted her all to myself, having no one else on her mind when I held her hand.

"Seriously? Thanks." She smiled widely, grabbing my hand and waving Riley off before we went to the bottom floor. She brought us right to the open bar, her body leaning against the marble countertop, her ample behind pushed out so naturally. Bella instantly chatted up the male bartender, her soft voice and girlish laughs completely filling my ears. The grubby, facial haired man in the back leaned on his palms and tipped his head to me, signaling what I wanted. I was struck dumb; what was I supposed to order? A beer to seem manly? Or a fruity drink to seem… retro? "He'll have a Blue Moon with me." Bella quipped for me. She turned around and gave me a questioning look. "You like those, don't you?" I smiled and nodded, a distressing look fleeing from her face. Bella turned back around when I handed over the cash, and it was so intoxicating to feel her body under mine that I stayed leaning over her, both of my hands gripping the counter in front of her. She didn't mind, her head and hips swaying lightly to the music playing. The band was taking a breaking, some cheap brand of dubstep flowing now.

She sipped her blue mixed drank moderately, not babysitting long enough to irritate me. My drink was gone after two drinks; sure, I wasn't a crazy party animal like Riley and his buddies were. But I needed more than a few "Blue Moons" to get me off and in a tipsy nature. Bella was going to order another, when I put my lips against her ear lobe. "Let's dance." I said spontaneously, badly wanting to feel her closer than this. She nodded hastily and pulled me to a less-crowded spot on the floor. Bella boldly moved with the beat of the song, a little off balance every once in a while- whether it was her tall shoes or the drink she just had, I didn't know and I didn't care. I watched her body in front of me like a hunter watched his prey. Her body… it was irresistible! I didn't know how to dance, so I was mostly just shifted from one foot to another. Somehow (by the graces of God) she ended turning and pressuring her back against me, moving in sync to the music around us. My hands were at my sides until she forcefully found them and brought both on her waist.

I was in love. Surely, this was heaven. Her head whipped around, allowing her boisterous locks to caress my face momentarily. I buried my face in her hair, placing small kisses against her scalp as she continued to wiggle against me. It took a lot of my dignity to keep my member unyielding and hidden- I didn't want to freak her out by getting hard over one dance. I rolled my eyes; I was too inexperienced for someone fun and carefree like Bella. But I would learn… I would be everything she wanted in an experienced man. After the seven minute song ended, Bella grabbed my hand and we made our way back to the private box again. Riley eyed us roughly before standing from his sitting place. "Have fun?" He finally inquired with a cheeky smirk on his face.

Bella rolled her eyes and smiled at me. "We wanted to dance. Who would have thought Edward had those kinds of moves?" She teased playfully, giving my hand a gentle squeeze when Riley's friends laughed.

"Cullen, having moves?" A short, stocky guy that lounged on a furry couch called out bitterly. "He must have slipped something in your girly drink. Look at him, stiff as a log!" Bella's face reddened angrily.

"Green isn't a good color on you, Seth." She spat the name out.

"Me? Jealous? _Please_!" Seth scoffed. "Once Cullen loses his glass slipper and climbs back into his little hell hole, I'll be dancing with you again." He winked dramatically, tapping his fingers slowly against the exposed skin of a girl next to him. My Bella danced with this scum? Images of his nastily grinding against my beautiful gem made my fist clench. Why in all hell would she frolic with him? I didn't dwell much on what he said about me. They were just words, and I had grown certain immunity to hurtful words over my lifetime.

Bella laughed bitterly. "Think again. I danced with you once. And if I remember correctly… you begged me." She smirked, her wild eyes trailing over everyone that _ohhh_'d at her burn. "And if memory serves me right, Riley almost killed you when you tried to kiss me. Edward respects me, whether or not he's the greatest dancer."

"Let's all just chill out." Riley walked in between Bella and Seth, breaking up the tension in the room.

Why did Bella stand up for me? Why was she so damn nice? It was stupid of her to care for me and say nice things. I wasn't nearly as great as she thought I was. The band got back on stage, creating a series of fan screams and catcalls as they played their hit song once more. Bella was still grumbling angrily as we sat at our old spot. I wasn't sure what to do, so I pulled her close to me and rubbed her shoulder lightly. "It's okay, Bella. He's not worth it." It was a phrase I repeated to myself a lot. From all of the antagonists in my life, I learned patience and peace.

But Bella was strong and stubborn, and knew how to protect the weak. "That was totally a bitch move, though." She said into my ear. It was back to high volume, where the only sound you heard was right next to your ear. "He thinks he's so cool." She rolled her eyes and smiled at me again. It felt almost natural to play victim around Bella. "No matter what he says, you're _way_ cooler than he ever could be." She gestured to someone behind me before requesting my phone. I handed it over with no complaint. She could have everything she wanted; all she had to do was ask. "My girlfriends want to go downstairs and meet up with some friends." Her painted fingernails sifted through my touch screen phone. She concentrated on typing something before returning it to me. "Text me, okay?" I nodded dumbly; she just gave me her number? I could have jumped for joy and shouted it to the world from the rooftop of Blackout. Instead, I gave her a goodbye hug and watched her prance her sweet self down the stairs and to the main floor, a few girls in scantly-clothed attire following. It was Bella's demure way of dressing and speaking that attracted me most. She was such a lady sometimes. She was so elegant and poised.

That was the best two hours of my life.


	3. Indian Summer in the Middle of Winter

**A/N:**

**ARTIST OF THE WEEK-**

**KATY PERRY- "Thinking of You". This song is so very pretty!**

Edward POV-

Alice huffed angrily. "What's up with you, Edward? You're acting so _aloof_ today." Her mouth was turned downward as she fussed with her daughter's hair barrette. "And of all weekends, you chose my opening gala weekend to act funny?" I ignored her complaints steadily; I understood her frustration, with all of the fancy elbow-touching and smiles she would be giving tonight. "Wait a sec," my sister's blue eyes cut up my blank expression like a pair of sharp scissors, "is this about a girl?"

I hadn't been home for more than a day when her reign of superwoman began. A week ago, I had the greatest night of my life. Sure, I hadn't seen her since then… but, surely it was pure accident and busy agenda that made it so? After that magical dance and her defending me, I knew I would be forever hooked. I shook my head, just barely containing a smile at the almost-mention of Bella. I wanted to keep her a secret from my family; else they would round on her like angry wolves on road kill. Bella was soft and sensitive; I would never put her in that situation. "A girl?" My mother voiced from behind me, a plate of four red velvet cupcakes occupying it. Before Alice could threaten her small child with warnings of death, little Gracie lurched for the sweet her grandmother handed to her.

"Mom, you know how hard I worked on that dress-" Alice began, but was silenced quickly by the delightful giggles emitted from Gracie as she chomped down on her dessert. I smiled and swooped my niece in my arms, walking off as my sister called out commands to my retreating back. At first, my parents thought Gracie would be the worst thing to come to the Cullen family, but as soon as the little chit was born, she was a twinkling star in their eyes.

"Want to pay a visit to Uncle Jasper?" Gracie nodded eagerly as she wrapped her thin arms around my neck. I knew I would never have children of my own, based upon the fact that I knew I would never have the sort of wife that my mother was- caring, loving, completely beautiful. Sure, Bella was all of those things and more… but she would never be with me, let alone have children, a white picket fence, and future with me. I always figured I had enough emotional decency with little ones like four year old Gracie and Jasper. Sure, jasper wasn't exactly little… but he had the emotionality and mind frame of a child. That was enough to deal with. Jas came to live with us nearly ten years ago, though it felt just like yesterday when my father and his younger sister had the blowout of the season.

Aunt Lauren taught me _that_ early on about the evil and vindictiveness of a beautiful woman. Lauren Cullen was the treasure of many men, never spending more than one night with vice-filled masked gentlemen, landing her stranded with a son with blond hair and a half-witted condition she couldn't handle. I rapped lightly on my cousin's door before entering. "Jas?" I called out loudly, needing to get his attention. When he was being birthed, he was strangled by his umbilical cord and lacked oxygen for nearly two minutes. Those two minutes changed the rest of his life.

"Yes?" He dragged out the "s" playfully, playing a sort of peek-a-boo game from his closet.

"Come on out. We're leaving in a little bit." I sat on his bed, made primly by the courteous staff that worked to especially care for Jasper's needs when my mother was on an errand and my father was in the office. I hated that I was over an hour's drive away, and so I couldn't be depended on like Alice could be. Gracie spluttered happily as she tugged out of my arms and went to play with one of Jasper's many science projects. He enjoyed putting them back together, and so her fiddling would do no harm.

"I don't wanna go to Alice's stupid party, Eddie! I don't want to go! It's stupid, and I won't go!" His mood suddenly turned angry as he climbed out of his walk-in closet, his fine suit now wrinkled with a chocolate smudge along his collar. I smiled to myself, but remembered to keep a stern look on my face. Jasper was a sixteen year old boy with a seven year old's learning skills, but not even a seven year old was allowed to act out. I learned early on that I had to treat Jasper like I would a regular cousin, without any partialism or pity.

"Uncle Jasper!" Gracie butchered "jasper" but it was the cutest thing I had ever heard. I looked around at this picture- instead of partying and having wild sex with different woman, I was here taking care of my cousin with special needs and little niece. My biggest worry was the health and future of both of them, not where I was going to get my next fix or what party I needed to crash.

That was just another reason I figured the whole Edward/Bella thing could never be.

I didn't want to show her this part of my life. It would hurt every part of me if she had the same harshness of society and looked down her nose at my family- Alice, for having a baby at sixteen, and Jasper for being borne to a horrible situation. Bella should be perfect in every way to me, and so I wouldn't shed light upon the skeletons of my lifestyle to her. She was just too perfect in my eyes to break now. "Don't be like that, Jasper. You know this means a lot to Alice. I know you don't like those people, but we have to deal with it." Jasper challenged me with a look, but once I donned a completely controlled look, he back down and nodded with a dampened spirit. I ruffled his hair affectionately and helped him into a dinner jacket, completed with a bowtie I brought with me from my house. "There." I spoke to him from the mirror.

A surprised glint entered his grey opals as he looked from my neck to his neck. "We're matching! We're matching!" He squealed, and had I been an insensitive asshole like Mike Newton, I might have had the urge to slap the sissy out of him. But I only smiled, loving the simplicity of pleasing Jasper with a mere token of cloth. Once I packed my niece and Jasper in my car, I stopped by Emmett's and waited for him to come out.

"I'm coming!" His loud voice boomed from the front door. Unlike me, my childhood friend decided to live with his parents through University, meaning he went to UCLA so he could stay in Calabasas with his parents. I left the comfortable walls of Calabasas Heights and moved to the other side of LA, in Ontario. I chose to spend the time going through my messages. When _one new message_ popped up on my toolbar, I clicked it eagerly. Last night, I spent the most wonderful time texting Bella. She was a lovely conversationalist, always willing and patient to hear a long-winded story or two. Bella was one of the first girls to want to hear me drone on about science projects, classical composers, and the world around me. The message popped up on my TV-like screen quicker than I expected. A large photo of a bright-smiled Bella and a little boy covered my screen. Under it read: _Thinking of you, my knight in shining armor! Blaine says hi._ My eyebrows drew together, who was Blaine? And who was this kid in her picture? Sure, I blushed crimson at her little nickname for me… but what if this message wasn't meant for me? What if she called all of her guy friends "knight in shining armor"? I shook my head at that. It was my special pet name, and this was all just… a little mishap.

I texted back quickly.

**Me**: _Who's Blaine?_

Sure, it sounded aloof and sort of rude. But I needed to know what was going on, before I started thinking up crazy assumptions.

Bella POV-

"Aunty Bell, I'm _hungry_." Blaine whined for third time as I wiped down the high shelf of my kitchen cabinets. My apartment wasn't huge, but it was spacious for my roommate and me. Since Rosalie paid most of the bills, I agreed to clean up around the fort and keep the refrigerator stocked. Cleaning was never easy, as I often had to keep both my room and her room up to par with health standards. Between her family and mine visitors were numerous. Always surprise visits, to make sure two struggling college kids were actually making it. She and I were to share a dorm freshmen year, but when the bill ran up the roof and I discovered that a fine print in my "Hands to Women" scholarship for my monthly articles I wrote for their local magazine didn't cover boarding costs, I knew the dorm lifestyle wasn't for me at all.

Rosalie didn't have much care for a lot of the girls around us, so she proposed we put our funds to good use. There was no way I was phoning my dad all the way in Sacramento and asking for money, or advice. There was just no way that was happening. So far, I made a nice little life for myself. Not long after setting myself up in Pomona, I realized how close East LA was- where my mother was staying with her new husband, Phil. It seemed all of her family was in southern California, as it was a mass of them had only ever seen pictures and postcards of me. I was welcomed with open arms, but I still didn't find it within me to move in with her or any of my _new_ aunts and uncles. I wanted independence! _That_ was not independence.

Blaine… he was like a miracle that fell from the sky. I wasn't one to judge another for their decisions or mistakes in life, but Blaine had to be my very favorite mistake of Riley's brother. Sure, James was a tough, _mean_ frat boy in college, but that didn't stop the ladies from being all over him any chance they got. One night was all it took, and right before graduation he found out Aimmee Summers was pregnant with his kid, and she was keeping it. Suddenly, his private life was no longer about him and women. He had a kid to factor in, and that changed everything. James pursued his hockey career, and playing for the LA kings as he always dreamed. But his contract was delayed, and he didn't get to jump right into the big league right out of UCLA like he wanted to. James had responsibilities that I promised myself, I would never burden myself with.

Kids were beautiful things, yes. But I didn't have the time or money to support them like James did. James and Riley came from good old money, I didn't. My mother and sister chose two different men- Aunt Martia chose Mr. Briers and my mom chose Charlie Swan. At that point, my dad wasn't chief of police yet- just a young chap looking to be a sheriff or something prestigious like that. And from there, she went on to date gypsies, tramps, and thieves all alike. Phil didn't come along until I was almost out of high school, just a few years ago. "I'm going to starve!" Blaine Briers rolled his eyes dramatically, splaying his chubby little body against the cold tile of my kitchen nook's floor, his tongue wagging out like a heat-stricken man in the Gandhi desert.

I chuckled at his theatrics, rolling my eyes as I finished the rest of the shelves. When I was done, I tossed the rag in the whicker bin and washed my hands. "What would you like to heat, now that I'm done?" I inquired patiently.

He stood up quickly, running to my body and tugging on the drooping, faded "LA Kings" shirt I wore. "Food! Anything with barbeque sauce!" An excited look went over his face; why didn't he get that happy over everything? Only food made him blissful. I knew that, with Riley and James' diets, Blaine probably had a high tolerance for any kind of food (burnt, barbequed, drenching in pizza sauce) and so he never complained about what I cooked or bought for dinner. He simply smiled and ate. Once I oven-baked the chicken fingers and served them for both of us, I figured I'd bring up the question that had been haggling Rosalie and I for the past month.

"What do you want for your birthday?" I questioned smoothly, not giving off an air of i-have-no-idea.

He shrugged. "A gun, a sword, a video game, a skate board. Whatever." Blaine was only five, but he had the most charming way of smiling and treating life like it was his playground. Blaine was a stout, husky sort of child for his age. He was the spitting image of James, with blonde hair and green eyes. I suddenly realized that I looked nothing like my mother's side- they were tall blondes with colored eyes. I was a short brunette with plain ol' brown orbs. My mother often teased that Rosalie could have fit in with her family more than her own daughter.

I seconded that statement. "That's it? There's nothing extra special you want Aunt Bell and Aunt Rosie to buy you?" Even if I only ever saw him a few times a month, I knew everything about him. His favorite characters, his favorite colors, his favorite movies and cartoons. Blaine was like my own child that I could hand over at the end of weekends and odd weekdays. Like this weekend, where James hugged and twirled me around in mirth when I agreed to babysit his _demon _while he did a fancy modern arts-type gala in the city. I rolled my eyes; he knew nothing about fashion or the modern arts, but the new girl he was courting sure did. I didn't personally know the leggy redhead, but Blaine seemed to be civil with her so I would be, too.

His eyes shifted from his half-eaten plate of food and went to my eyes. "Dad won't let me… but I want a doggy."

I coughed quietly, not expecting him to want a living thing yet. "A stuffed doggy? Like a teddy bear?" I reasoned. When Blaine wanted something from me, he usually got it. This would be no different, I knew it. I would probably get suckered into convincing James to let Blaine have one, and went it all went wrong, James would chew my ass up about it.

"No, a real puppy! He would be my _best_ _friend_!" Maybe Rosalie would take the heat for this one?

After a long conversation on the pros and cons of having a pet, I finally decided it was movie time. Amidst the dog-themed Disney classic, I snapped a picture of me smiling and Blaine looking oddly into the lens, his blanket tucked under his chin. Edward warned me earlier that week that he had to attend some gathering with his family and he wouldn't be able to talk, and I understood completely. But it was only five o clock, surely Edward wouldn't be there yet and he would get the picture in time? I sent it, leaving a small not at the bottom.

Edward.

There were two words to describe him. Incredibly. Provocative.

When I showed Rosalie a picture he sent to me, she "ohhed" and "ahhed" her ass off. But when I saw him walking from on class to another, I quickly pointed him out to her. On campus, she had a mini laughing fit and promised me that she would never allow me to go out clubbing alone again. While she understood my interest in his intelligence and natural beauty, Rosalie had always been after the bronze and medal-winning brutes. I shook my head and surmised that Rosalie was just ignorant to his natural charm. But I soon realized that it was people like Mike Newton that I had to hide Edward from. Jerks like Mike didn't understand that I was _not_ interested, and Mike had a habit of picking on guys that were smaller than him. Oh, I would just strangle him if he ever laid a finger on sweet, kind, innocent Edward!

I expected Edward send a sweet compliment or something along that line, but when his brisk "Who's Blaine", I began to ponder. Not stressing on it too much, I replied sweetly.

**Me**: _He's the love of my life! Haven't I told you about him?_

**Edward**: _No, you failed to mention it_. _Is that your son, Bella?_

I wanted to laugh and cry at his question. What would make him think something like that? If I had a son, I surely would have found a better way to tell him then just sending a picture! Who did Edward think I was? **Me**: _Heavens, no! Edward, I'm not awful, am I?_

I would never drop a bomb like that without any warning or face-to-face encounter. There was a pause in our texting as I awaited his response.

**Edward**: _What, are you saying that it's wrong to have a son at a young age? So much for not judging, Isabella! I was wrong about you, you know. By the way, it isn't anything close to awful to have a son young. Children are miracles. I thought we shared that notion, but you're obviously as simple-minded as the rest. I'm busy right now. Goodbye._

I sat and re-read the message many times, Blaine asleep peacefully on my lap. What just happened? He took my answer so wrong! I had never meant to say that having a kind early on was wrong, I meant to say something completely different… but he had never jumped the gun like that before! He was always so understanding, and took time to assess and help in a situation. Was Edward so defensive because he… had a kid? I tossed my phone aside, not even bothering to send a futile text message back. What was the use? I had already muddled things up by trying to make a joke through SMS.

Why would he jump to the conclusion that Blaine was my son? I didn't make it out to sound like that, did I? weren't aunts supposed to love their nieces and nephews and to pieces, even going as far as taking as taking a million pictures with them and sending them to friends to try and put a smile on their faces? Edward admitted to me early on this week that he didn't favor big crowds, and he was feeling extra-stresses about this weekend because his family (sister mainly) was the honorary people of the night. I was only trying to cheer him up.

I never meant for him to be offended or hurt. So I snuggled up to the only man who really understood me and fell into a troubled, dark slumber.


	4. All Fall Down

**Bella POV-**

"What's got you so down, Bells?" Riley confronted me by the table with the watered down punch bowl. His unusually slick smile was suave and speech came easy as I realized he had his fair share (and just a little bit more) of spirits. "Not feeling the atmosphere?" The music wasn't too loud, and the fill-in ipod for a DJ wasn't too shabby. I had tagging along with Riley to parties since I was in high school- making me the perfect party-goer, since I knew not to drink the mixed drinks (or anything from a stranger, really) and knew to set the bar of "fun" expectancy at a pretty realistic level. Those kind of expectations could make almost any party enjoyable! But there was just a component missing, and I couldn't quite place it. A large part of me wanted to believe that it was just pure boredom, but I knew exactly what it was. Edward. But how could he have made such a large impact in just a few days?

"It's not that. I just- I think I might head home early. You know I just had Blaine over for the weekend. I think I'll need my beauty sleep for class tomorrow." I laughed it off, feeling stupid for lying to Riley. He was my closest relative alive, and even allowed me to follow him a few hundred miles down the coastline to go to school with him! I felt odd keeping something from him, especially something that bothered me so much. Why not just spit it out? If I was lucky, he might not even be capable of recollecting anything past walking through the door when he awoke the next morning!

"C'mon, let me get a dance in before you leave." I felt Seth pull on my arm and tug me towards the space between the unplugged TV and oddly angled stereo system, where a makeshift dance floor was situated. I looked behind me at Riley, ready to call out a chain of "helps" when he abruptly angled his mouth along the side of my cheek; that stilled me in my fit. Although cocky, Seth was a good looking dude with a beautiful set of teeth on him. It sent a thrill of pleasure down my spine, but then I thought about Edward. My blood ran cold. "You're untouchable, you know that? Between your rowdy ass cousin and your hard _bitch _aura, getting just one dance in the achievement award." He teased cockily, grabbing me by my waist and bringing me flush against him. Seth's overly muscular body didn't fit just right against me like _his _did. I looked at him- his dark skin suddenly turned pale and his neat, gelled back do became Edward's unruly bronze locks. My eyes watered and averted his in humiliation.

_**He kissed my lips, I taste your mouth. He pulled me in, I was disgusted with myself. **_

"I'm sorry." I doubted he heard me over the ass-shaking melody pumping from the speaker behind us, but I had to give him something for the past two years that he had been chasing me. At first, I did want him to chase me- the thrill of being sought after was exhilarating at first. Now, it was just lame. It was more of a nuisance than a compliment these days. I fought my way out of the crowded frat common room and didn't stop until I made it to my car, parked a few houses down. It was chilly, unfortunately for my bare legs and broad shoulders, and even when I successfully locked myself in my car and turned the engine over the chill in my bone didn't go away. I was a wreck! I was so… stupid! Seth was being so _un_jerk-ish and I just walked away without a real explanation? What, was I going to just leave Riley here completely drunk and without any keys? They were in my purse, which was thrown under my passenger seat.

I pulled out my phone and skimmed through my phonebook, idly stopping when my finger went over Edward's highlighted contact. No, I shook my head and fought the temptation. I was in no condition to call him and talk about things. He would probably think I was a raging mess with an alcoholic tendency to drunk-text people. Instead, I kept going and finally reached Rosalie's number. "Hello?" Her nonchalant voice told me she was up, watching a late night television broadcast or surfing the web- why else would she awake at two in the morning, if she wasn't working out? Rosa stoned out the world with hardcore beat when she used the apartment complex's indoor gym.

"Rose." I whimpered, not trusting my voice to finish the sentence yet. She waited patiently while I took a deep breath. "I'm so stupid, I don't know what to do."

"Start from the beginning." Was her simple reply. I loved Rosalie for the credit that she refused to help throw me pity parties, and because of her kick ass attitude that helped me through things like my parents' messy divorce and many minor "breakups" as a Freshman at USC.

"It's just… Edward is staying on my mind, no matter what I do. I was dancing with Seth just fine, and he was being super polite with his hands and everything- and he started to look like Edward. His hair and skin, and even the bodily scent…" I shuddered as I thought about it. "All because I sent him a picture of me and Blaine after dinner, and he thought that was my son and I when I told him it wasn't- he whipped out with all of these assumptions and crazy ideas that I hated young mothers! It got out of hand so quickly."

"And this is the Edward that you met last week, right?" I shut my eyes against the sting in her voice. Rosa knew exactly how to say something ot make me feel stupid.

"Yes, that one." Seven days… and I was a complete loser over him?

"You know what I'm going to say, Bella. Seven days is not enough time to let yourself get hung up. If you keep thinking about him, you're just going to be a glutton for misery. I hate that little prick Seth, but maybe he's just what you need right now. Are you looking to forget about him tonight?" I nodded, but knew she couldn't see through the phone. I wanted to feel someone's hands run al over my body- and I wanted everything around me to blurred out of my vision. "Bella," she began softly, "you're not ready to play a big girl's game. Are you ready to let sex be something casual and gritty?" I blanched at the idea of sex being a normal, day-to-day thing with just about anybody. That wasn't me at all.

"No." I muttered in a small voice, unrecognizable to my own ears.

"Then come home. Do you need a ride, or what?" Her tone was swift and terse, leaving out nothing and never setting underlying mentions.

"No, I have my car and Riley's keys. I didn't drink tonight, so I'll be fine on the road. But what do I do about Riley? He doesn't want to leave yet." I peered up at the house, still pulsing with music and falsely-intoxicated girls. I knew she was going to drone on about "he got there on his own, he can get back on his own", so I interjected quickly. "Never mind, I'll text him later. I'm sure he can catch a ride with one of the girls he was hanging all over." I rolled my eyes. It was so easy for Riley to jump from one girl to the next, as if they were tracks on an album! To him, one didn't mean more than the other.

"Be safe out there." And without, we hung up and I veered onto the road that took me home. Central LA to Pomona, where Rosalie and I shared an apartment, wasn't that far of a drive. But alone, at two o clock in the morning, it seemed to take forever. I changed the radio station a million times before the satellite radio finally played something I could stand listening to. Traffic was light, as it was early morning on a Sunday, but this was Los Angeles- this city never slept. As if the night hadn't been unfortunate enough, as soon as I exited off the 5, a police car flicked his blue and red lights on. My heart dropped in my chest as I scooted my little economy car over to curb. What was it now? I had my seat belt on, I was going the speed limit, and I was staying in my lane… oh, shit.

I pressed a sweaty palm against my forehead. My fucking left brake light was out, I suddenly remembered as the officer came strolling up to my window. Riley scolded me about it before we entered the party, as he had been following my car to the party in traffic. Mentally, I readied myself for the worst. I did have _just _one beer at the party, and if he made me take a breathalyzer test? And if it showed up and he stamped me with a big, fat DUI tattoo across my forehead? My dad would kill me, my mother would just choke on her own swollen tongue, and Rosalie… she would hate me for lying to her about being able to make home alright. Why didn't I just take Riley's car, which was up to date on engine repairs and would take me home safely, both brake lights intact? No one would understand that I had a DUI because by chance, my brake light went out and I just happened to be drinking! I was ready to just break down and cry when I rolled down my automatic window and saw his rustic, five o clock shadowed-face beneath a wide-brimmed hate. Why was this middle-aged cop wearing his issued hat at night, when there was no sun out?

"Good evening, officer." I said softly, remembering my dad's wise words about cop attitude's. The more willing and soft-spoken the civilian was, the less most cops wanted to fuck them over.

"Good evening, M'am. Do you know why I stopped you tonight?" I shook my head, completely playing dumb. His name tag read _Conroy_. Was that his first name or his last name? he looked old enough to be my dad, but I didn't doubt he saw me as a little girl. The ways his beady eyes roved around, he thought I was a full-grown woman! "Your left brake light is out, are you aware of that?" I shook my head, a surprised look coming over my face. My brake light, _really_?

"My brake light? Oh my god, I so didn't know!" I pretended to mentally berate myself with a few idiotic eye rolls and a rough shake of head. The way he kept glancing from my lacy, almost see-through top to the pad in his hand made me almost blush. Tonight was just not my night!

"License and registration, M'am." I nodded and handed him my ID, along with the folded pink slips kept bravely in my glove compartment. He walked back to his car, and there were a few humiliating minutes before he came back. So far, so good. Maybe I wasn't destined to spend my night in the drunk tank, waiting for Rosalie to bail me out and chew my ass out for my stupidity. Why oh why was I so stupid sometimes? Officer Conroy leaned his elbows on the sill of my window, and I bit back the response I wanted to give him. Didn't he know this was a ten year old car? That window seal was nearly a goner, and here he was posing like Fabio against it? "Your name and date of birth, M'am?"

"Bella Swan. September 19, 1992." _Too young for you_, I almost added but bit my words once more. Not even twenty years old yet, he was probably thinking. My face always looked a little more mature and aged than the other girls my age. I couldn't help that.

"And can you tell me what you're doing out here so late, Miss Swan?" Officer Conroy spoke lightly, his voice dipping into sarcasm and sultriness all at once.

"Just heading home from my cousin's house. Stayed up pretty late studying for that big test tomorrow." I sent him a cute smile. "I live in Pomona and go to college around here. Did you?" I engaged him light conversation trying my hardest to not breathe directly at him. What if he smelt the tiniest hint of alcohol on my breath? What if he just had a suspicion? I was just three streets away from my house!

His crooked grin plastered across his face. "No, I'm not from around here. A Washington Husky, born and raised." I nodded softly. So, did that mean…? "And, if I'm not pushing your privacy, would you happen to know someone names Charles Swan?"

My eyes lit up and my heart swelled where it sat, tucked away in a warm cave of a ribcage. "Charlie? That's my dad." I chuckled softly, relaxing into my seat. So, my luck was looking up? Everyone who knew Charlie, loved Charlie! "How do you know him?" I didn't really care, but I knew he was waiting for me to ask anyway.

"We went to university together, and we attended the same police academy in Seattle. Crazy that we both ended up here in California, then? Where is that old man now?"

"Up by Sacramento; he's the chief of police up there." I gloated lightly, not wanting to have this situation belly-flop on me. "But I'm not too sure he likes it. It's been years of stress and agony… he's wanted your job back, you know." I lied, once more. Since when was I so good at that? "The cruiser-type deal. You're basically your own boss, and doing the community so much good by getting the bad guys off the streets. Yeah, he misses that." Officer Conroy seemed to be… blushing? My dad said the worst kind of job (next to a desk one) was a late night cruiser. He said was always drunk driver/domestic disturbance/speeding idiot. But this man didn't need to know that. He was going to hear what he wanted to hear!

"Aw, tell that old guy that Rick Conroy said hi and to take it easy; I remember his blood pressure in college. Get that light fixed, M'am, and you'll be on your way." I nodded happily and rolled my window back up eagerly with ID and papers in hand. Thanks to my father, I was sent off with a measly warning and a good story. Oh, how I loved that man! I would've called him and thanked him profusely for my last night and his _Mr. Popular _reputation, but I didn't need to take the chance of acquiring a _real _ticket. And, he would rip me a new one if he found out I was pulled over.

Edward popped back up in my brain, and suddenly the night didn't seem lucky at all.

**A/N: The song I used was "Thinking of You" by Katy Perry. (artist of the week from my last update). What's the craziest story that you have about getting pulled over? I'd like to hear it.**


	5. The Minor Fall, The Major Lift

Rosalie said nothing the next morning, and I gave into the silence as a way to try and forget everything. Edward was that of the past, but I found that I was drawn to him only because of the simplicity he belonged to. There would be no late night partying seven days a week, no failed attempts at decoding my messages (he was so darn intelligent), and most of all, I knew he was so sweet and would do absolutely anything I asked of him. He wasn't greedy with his affection, and I wouldn't have to explain mind-bending thriller plots to him on daring movie nights. I could be "smart Bella" with him and not feel out of place. I could be me. Not that being me was all that great. "What's got you so quiet? Was the party that bunk last night?" I shook my head and dove in my splashing cereal bowl.

Why couldn't she be content with my newfound serenity-filled silence? I was content- no, more than content! I was _happy _with it. "Not really, it wasn't that bad. But I guess it's just been a trying few weeks for me." Rosalie chuckled darkly before settling down in the sitting room, which made for a parlor and also a theater room. Our two bedroom apartment wasn't shabby in the sense of neighborhood, but it was a close-quarters type of arrangement. There was one restroom we shared, and it sat between our two bedrooms in the only hallway belonging to the living space, and our living room was big enough for one luxurious couch, a small loveseat (not to mention the monstrously large flat-screen Rosalie insisted on), and one cedar coffee table. Off to the side was the kitchen nook, which housed our in-wall stove and fridge. The small kitchen table and belonging four chairs were the only pieces of furniture I brought to the house. Everything else was bought, and Rosalie didn't have much from her home life that she fancied bringing with her into college life. Actually, she didn't have plans of having anymore furniture than a bed and a nightstand.

She planned on dormitory life and never really being home, anyway. But we had two nephews to consider, and really, we had each other. Cedar- the house was done in nothing but cedar. When we first moved in together, Rose made it clear that she would furnish the apartment with nothing but the finest wood and we had to keep to that type of color scheme. It was a blessing that my kitchen set was just that; as a Freshman in college, I decided to take that as a sign from the universe- that she and I were meant to meet up and room together. "Please, Bella- you're going to meet a lot more Mr. Wrong's before your college life is over. Edward is just one of the many." I shrugged off her comment. It was different for her. She went through men like underwear, and she was so beautiful. We were in two different situations.

And besides, she would die before she dated an Edward. "It's not about him." _It was all about him. _"And I'm not looking for a Mr. Right in the first place." What woman wasn't looking for the right man? The guy that was so easy to talk to and very understanding, even in a situation that he didn't understand… I assumed Edward was like that. And that's why I wanted this to work out. I wanted _easy _and _fun _with a guy that was anything but.

"Shut up and eat your breakfast." Rose muttered, staring back at her TV screen like a hooked fiend. I hated when she patronized me and downsized my problems. Did I brush her off when she droned on about her dance group's problems? "_Oh, she sprained her ankle. What shall we ever do without her perfect ankles?"_ or "_We're only getting two hours Room A20 time. What are my dancers going to do without mirrors for an entire hour of practice?_". Did she think I cared about a vain dancer's mirror time? Did she consider my feelings and "silly" problems? No, she didn't! It was all about Rosalie hale, all of the time! "Stop shit-talking me in your mind. You make a really ugly face when you do that." She hadn't even looked up from her ESPN channel viewing.

I blushed a dark scarlet but went back to my eating. How did she always know what I was thinking? Maybe my face was just a dead giveaway or something. Suddenly, my pink-tinted milk became uninteresting and I poured it down the sink before washing it and placing it in a high cupboard. Maybe one day when I got a well-paying job, we could afford to put in a automatic dish-washing machine…I shook my head. By the time we graduated school and got jobs, Rosalie would have a millionaire husband and a six digit salary. She wouldn't be stuck in a single digit bedroom apartment, sharing space with an entire complex. "I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee and then head out to James' place. I hear he's got a girlfriend." I added suggestively. When he picked Blaine up last week, he had this cheeky little smile and slipped a bill in my hand that had one to many zeros, but he really left no room to complain when he sacked a sleeping kid over his chest and walked off to the elevator shaft.

Rosalie chuckled some but didn't really give in to my advances. I wanted her to hook up with James so very badly in the beginning, but now it was more of a fun thing to tease about. I mean, they were the perfect candidates for the hypothetical "perfect" relationship. Both were blond and got everything they wanted because of their smile (both had to wear braces for three years), both had a heavy load of baggage, both only liked to date people with loaded baggage… the compatibility was endless! "Never gonna happen." Was her muttered reply. I always thought it'd be totally cool to set up my new and only friend with my cousin that had just run into some problems. I sort of figured they'd be each other's savior. But Rosalie figured that he would be too much like me for her own good.

Some women liked to think that dating their best friend would be cool and easy, but not us. "Oh, come on, you know he goes through these girls like we go through sparkling wine!" So what if she could afford the expensive stuff- like real champagne. We liked the bubbly light stuff, not to mention cartooned red wine. Oh, that was the best. "You could be the one to break him." Rosalie hid her smile well, but I knew it was lurking just beneath the surface. She liked being teased and compared to lesser women- she had a very large ego and she loved when people stroked it. "You two could be a power couple. And," I dragged out the "d" in the small word, "we would technically be related. The question shouldn't be "why" you should go out with him. It should be "why not"!"

Rose turned to me with a lopsided smirk. "No."

I huffed indignantly but hunched my shoulders and stared right back at her. "You're not being very fair right now." I pointed out blandly. "But I still think you two totally have the hots for each other." She got this screwed-up look on her blemish free features before straightening up.

"Oh, yes, of course. Hey, maybe we can go on a _double date _with that nerdy little kid you've been stupidly drawling over and your enigmatic cousin?" She inquired sarcastically, making me wrinkled my nose in disgust. He wasn't "nerdy", "little", or a "kid". He was a very _handsome_, _intellectually enhanced_, _male __**adult**_. And oh, he was very sexy.

"I like that big word you used there, Rosalie. Which falsetto ballerina fagot did you learn that from?" I spat before walking away with a sour face. How did she know how to rile my gears so well? All I wanted was for her to get married to my spinster cousin and fall in love with ifs/ands/butts about it. It wasn't that hard right? Especially when said dude was _very _easy on the eyes. The closest male to her heart was this little fruit loop that she met her freshmen year in our dance team's squad. He was what one would call a flamer, constantly sporting his sassy albeit gag-inducing attitude everywhere. Andy Dyner, as I would learn to hate that very name, often stepped in and screwed up every good relationship Rose ever had. And he hated my cousin James, so basically Rosalie never had the chance. I, for one, liked a lot of the guys she dated. They were mostly ritzy guys, and some cared to not show it so flauntingly. But they were all the same- nice cars, white smiles, and lithe body. Rosalie didn't know how to date anything other than coin-operated boys produced by an inheritance or two. Where were all of those guys when I was looking? On the dates I had been on, we arrived at three star restaurants (or shabby movie theatres) in a hoopty, or a _fixer-uppers _as they deemed them. Rose went to plays and operas and ate caviar, served with real champagne and imported Vodka. The few guys I dated were all on college kid budgets, and so was I.

"I'm gonna head out and grab a coffee. Want anything?" There wasn't much else I wanted to do on a lazy Sunday morning, and the bags under my eyes were heavier than anytime before.

Rosalie shook her head. "No, but I am having brunch with my sister at Maxo's in an hour. Do you want to come?" Rosalie's older sister was a prim cut classic- she only wore expensive brand underwear and her outfits were mostly designed special for her body. She sent Christmas cards every year and always promised to send hefty gift cards (to places I had never stepped foot in, for a reason!). Lauren Hale was the perfect example of an uptight businesswoman with too little time in the real world, having wasted too much of her life inside of a corporate office. "Lauren insists I go today. Some kind of _important _business she wants to talk about." Rosalie rolled her eyes. Their mother, Mrs. Tanya Hale raised her two daughters in the upper west side of Malibu, where fun in the sun was the last thing she allowed Lauren and Rosalie to think about- it was always about keeping their looks up and eyes straight forward. Rose rebelled against, Lauren too easily succumbed. "Who knows? Maybe she's pregnant?"

I scoffed loudly. "Yeah, right. Lauren would be as good a mom as I would be a runway model." I rolled my eyes like a tart. Lauren was fun in her own right, but it just took so much to actually loosen her up! "Is Maxo's that really pricey Thai restaurant in the Hills?" Beverly Hills wasn't a part of LA that I often visited. We lived in Pomona, my dad lived in Northern California, and my mom lived in East Los Angeles in the beautiful city of Montebello. Other than the long and infrequent visits to Rose's parents in Malibu and our daily trips to USC, I hadn't really been around. Los Angeles really wasn't a place for a young, gullible girl like me to be touring alone, anyway.

We both got dressed in our most impressive outfits and hopped in her swooped up Mustang, leaving my economy car in the two car garage and veered onto the highway immediately. Traffic was always a bummer here in LA, so there was no time to waste and no kindness to share- everyone wanted to get where they were going as fast as they could. Beverly Hills wasn't exactly close to us, but an hour's drive wasn't all that bad- not if it meant a filling plate of Pho and sticky rice, courtesy of Lauren's tab. "Why does your sister have to pick the farthest town from us? Couldn't she be the least bit courteous and ask you out to lunch in Pomona?" I loved Pomona, and Rosalie didn't like the crowded sub-city our University was in.

Rosalie flicked on the left hand signal as she switched lanes for the fifth time since we got on the Interstate. "Because Lauren thinks that the only nice city in LA is Beverly Hills. She has it in her head that Pomona is a little cowboy town with no electricity and inside bathrooms." Rose rolled her eyes and settled back in her seat as we entered a gridlock stream. "Not to mention my mom invited us to her "Iffy Fifty" party in November." Another eye roll.

"What the hell is an "Iffy Fifty"? Is that even a thing?" I questioned wildly.

"Maybe, I don't know." Rosalie shrugged and hid a big yawn behind her hand. "It's supposed to be like a "dirty thirty" birthday celebration. Only problem? She's turning fifty-five this year. A few years too late." Tanya Hale was constantly changing her body and fashion to fit the latest and greatest trends of the year, and at fifty-four she did look better than me. "I'm going to guess it will involve Penis-shaped cakes, inappropriate gag gifts, and two very expensive male strippers."

"Sounds like your kind of party." I replied idly as I flipped through a few new text messages in my phone.

"Not really. Not when there's a bunch of old women my mother's age and taste there." The traffic let up in a matter of fifteen excruciating minutes and we made the rest of our trip in silence. I thought about my dad's birthday next month, and how I would send some lame gift to him via FedEx or UPS (which was _so _impersonal). Did that make me a bad daughter? I mean, when I did live with him after I turned fourteen we didn't usually do anything great on October 13th- we spent the day as normal as could be. Went to work or school, came home, ate some cake, opened a gift, and went to bed. Same went for my birthdays. We left the car to the valet and found Lauren (punctual, as always) already seated at a triangular table with a napkin on her lap. We approached and she made no action to get up and greet us, just sat there with her dark colored eye shadow and red lipstick. Her blonde hair was darker than Rosalie's, and she was a lot skinnier. Almost unhealthily skinny, if anyone asked my opinion. "What a wonderful surprise, Rosalie." Lauren pursed her lips in the closest thing she owned to a smile and nodded for us to sit down. There was a five year gap between the two sisters, making it a seven year gap from me to Lauren.

She knew how to put me in my place. I was still nineteen year old brunette, and she was already twenty-six and a distinguished business lady. "Hello, Lauren." I quipped awkwardly and mumbled the kind of dark soda I wanted to the patient waiter. Rose was twenty-one since the summer, and Lauren never had to flash her ID to anyone. She got what she wanted, no matter what. "How've you been?" My English was stupid to even my ears compared to hers.

"Business is doing well, thank you for asking. I have just recently bought out a chain of small construction companies on the East Coast for a price that you wouldn't believe, and my business partner has been considering hiring a new director for our Relations Department- seeing as the last tramp could not keep her legs closed long enough to handle any office problems." I nodded, as if I cared or even understood what she meant.

"She asked about you. Not work." Rosalie fired back, a mean glint in her coral blue eyes. Lauren had almost green eyes, from where I didn't know, and somehow hated her sister was receiving the dominate gene. "But then again, there is no _you _without work."

"Are you insinuating that I have no private life set aside from my business? That is rubbish." Lauren kept a poised look on her face and her body stayed rigid as she turned to me. "I have been seeing a gentleman, yes. We aren't serious, no. That fact is partially my fault, seeing as I spend little time with him on a more," she brought her hands from her lap and made an air quotation for emphasis, "_personal _level. _Personally_, the sex is fantastic. He has emotional needs that I suppose I don't always attend to, but who can honestly blame me?" Her pensive eyes were sharp as she took a healthy swig of her red wine. I gulped in despair, suddenly hating myself for asking such a small question. "Good" or "nothing much has happened" was a very suitable answer! It wasn't an open gate for the dumping of personal problems.

I didn't mind hearing anybody's problems, or giving any advice I could. But Lauren never took our advice, and she never wanted to hear it. "It's a great thing that you've got a caring boyfriend, though." I offered politely and blinked a few times in confusion. What sort of woman hated that her guy was a great communicator and was connected with his emotional side? That was a wonderful quality in a man!

"There's a predominant gene in our blood to hate good men." Rosalie replied sarcastically and began picking at the Ceasar salad placed before each of us. I hadn't been to a fancy three course meal in a very long time! "But this guy doesn't seem all that bad."

"He is _not _my boyfriend, Isabella." Lauren emphasized strongly. "Another thing, he's below me on the corporate ladder. How would that fare at Christmas dinner if my father knew I was having private affairs with the CEO's secretary? God, he would just roll over and die." There was almost a sweet look on her face when she said this. Mr. Hale was a nice man, if you weren't dating one of his dashing daughters or messing with his money or golf game. He was mostly a serious character and never bowed his head in anyone's direction- Caius Hale was a man that never had to swallow that pill called pride, and he would first be tortured to death before he asked for help from anyone. Which in turn bred two strong, stubborn, and mean daughters with genetically-advanced attributes.

"Bella?" A soft voice spoke from behind my chair, and my head snapped quickly to find the owner of that familiar velvety voice.


	6. Corner of 1st & Amistad

**A/N: ARTIST OF THE WEEK:**

**The Fray. The song I used is called "You Found Me." totally inspirational song, look it up!**

Emmett was scarfing down his second plate of double meatball spaghetti when the disgusted waitress walked by and slid the receipt in a long, leather case. I sent her an apologetic smile and I pulled a silver credit card from my own wallet to pay for our meal. She had long, brown hair just like Bella- and her walk was more of a strut and absolutely practiced. I blushed and looked down at the ground. Impure thoughts of Isabella played in my head and wouldn't go away… they never did. "Are you sure you got it, man? I can foot the bill this time." Emmett was on a spending limit since his very wild splurge last month. In two days, he spent two hundred thousand dollars didn't event think about it. Sure, that wasn't so harsh if he was his own man and made that money himself. But it was his parent's funds he was burning though like kindle wood- Judge Athenadora McCartney and Criminal Bureau Attorney of Law Samuel McCartney were a power couple with stable incomes and a steady hand at playing the stock market. Em had no worldly skills, a part from his full-ride Hockey scholarship at UCLA.

I shook my head and dabbed at my mouth. What was the point of coming to a cultured restaurant if you didn't even try the specialty cuisine? It would have been smarter and easier to just stop by a hamburger joint and picked up some greasy delights for the budgeting bloke. But now, he loved to blow money. "No, thanks." I failed to mention that our meals and spirits were on the low end of four hundred dollars, seeing as he ordered five German imports and rang up two servings of the largest plate they had. I was sure his daily card limit was around the early hundreds, and seeing as he irresponsibly bought another one of his Fender guitars, I doubted he had enough. But I held the keys to his shiny new Jeep (one of the contributors to the 200 G spending splurge) and smiled smally as _Carina _picked up our tab and sauntered off.

"She was into me, did you see that look?" Emmett waggled his eyebrows playfully, trailing his eyes along her backside as she took another couple's order next to us. "Then again, I get that look all of the time." His lips curved into a smirk as he put his hands behind his head. "So, what's up with this girl you've been seeing?"

I hid a daunting blush under my napkin as I wiped away a smudge of noodle sauce from my mouth. "We weren't _seeing _each other, and now we're not even talking. It's complicated." He usually would have sufficed for such an answer. But today he was feeling froggy and wouldn't give up on his questioning.

"Well, what does this girl look like? Is she Amazon-woman tall, or what? You said you liked your girls tall." I shook my head- no, she was a short little woman that barely came to my shoulder. "Is she a blondie? Oh- c'mon, Edward, you love blondes!" I still shook my head. No, I loved her long brunette locks more than my fascination with blonde bombshells. "Don't tell me she's soft-spoken and some liberal flower child?" again I nodded; Bella believed that every living creature was beautiful, and she was leaning more Democrat than Republican, and that political rouse was always a problem for Emmett's family. Emmett hadn't voted once yet, but he constantly allowed himself to get caught on a woman's conflicting political opinion. "Jesus, Edward, she's everything you've never wanted in a woman. Is it really a wonder why things didn't work out?"

I ignored his remarks and lifted my body out of the chair. Though text messages, we had expressed to each other different aspects of our life and I always found myself wondering what simple chores of life would be like if she were by my side. We would eat at five star venues every evening, I would sure my private piano compositions late at night, and I would awake to her beautiful face every single morning. Was that not the picturesque life? "I have to pick Gracie up from Alice's, so let's get a move on." I beckoned Emmett with a gesture of my hand and he followed like the soft puppy he was inside. Most people thought of our duo as more of a bully-and-bullied deal, but I often led him around instead of the other way around. Card in wallet, I stuffed the expensive leather back into my pocket and went for the front door.

But on the side of my hindsight, I saw her mass of brunette locks bounce up and down in conversation, and then her voice sang out to me like I would never have been able to expect. I halted immediately, feeling glued to the spot with nowhere else to go. Emmett bumped into my back harshly, causing to both stumble forward, but I caught my footing and carried on with my staring. I was idly aware of Emmett's rude questioning and the goading of her sharp fingers poking into my back, but she filled up the entire room with her smiles and laughter. And though I hadn't yet heard her smile and naught could see her entire face to know if there was a smile, I knew it was her. "That's her." I felt my lips form the words, and my vocal chords stretched accordingly with the awed tone I used. It was almost like I was floating all the way to her, on a simple could of lust and remembrance and nothing else could put out the flame of redemption. This time was my time- I wasn't going to let anything ruin the moment I would take to tell her everything I had been too cowardly to say in the last few weeks.

"Bella?" Her name was liquid heroine to my veins, and I knew I would just die if I hadn't my next dose. Bella's head snapped my way instantly, as if she knew her name belonged to only her and none else. Surprised brown eyes met mine in their doe nature, and it was all I took not to collect her face into my larger hands and have my way with her mouth.

"Edward?" Her inquisition was unnecessary, but the way she said it made my chinos tight and encompassing. "What- what are you doing here?" Her harsh tone hit me square on my nose; I hadn't thought about how she would react in front of her friends, seeing as I wasn't the greatest accessory on a woman's arm. "I didn't mean it like that!" The painful expression must have showed on my face, how else would she have gotten that look of pity and frustration on her face? "I just meant… I figured we'd never have the chance of running into each other." How so, I wanted to ask but didn't risk it. I wasn't going to look a gifted horse in it's mouth! I was going to take this a yes from the universe and move3 forward with my long-overdue apology.

**Bella POV-**

His eyes were guarded against mine, and I couldn't blame him. Even if I didn't mean to come off rash and rude, I sort of didn't want him to meet Rosalie or her judgmental bitch sister Lauren. "But this is perfect! You're Bella? _The _Bella I've been hearing so darn much about?" A larger comrade of his said from behind him, standing a few feet away from Edward for safekeeping. "This- I just…" The man acquired a certain grin to his face. "This is just great! Never thought I was gonna get to meet you, hello." I didn't know how to react to the stranger that knew my name. But when he approached me in two strides and enveloped my entire body, I didn't have to make that decision.

**Edward POV-**

Since when had Emmett started using "darn"? He wouldn't know what a brain filter was if it was staring him in the eye, and that plastic way of greeting made my stomach sick. Just what did he think he was up to? "Oh, yes, hello." Was Bella's awkward reply, muffled some by his giant shoulders blocking her mouth. Emmett was lying though his teeth to her, and the last thing I needed him to do was scare her off and right in the arms of her debutante friends at her table. I took Bella as a girl that stayed far away from blond, female aristocrats like the ones currently sizing the both of us up- and it didn't make me uncomfortable. They weren't staring and ogling for a free show, they were making mental observations about our stature and assumed-social standing. He released her and began to feign interest in her outfit and hair color. Color went to my face as I stood in front of him, effectively shielding her away form his menacing antics. But her dress _was _nice- and left all of the right components to the imagination. Her eyes refocused as she turned her head around slowly, as if she had just remembered something. "Rosalie, Lauren- this is my friend, Edward." Her small smile killed any living hope that we had left the friend zone with our cozy texts and personalized ring tones. "Edward, this is my best friend Rosalie and her sister, Lauren."

"_Hello_, ladies." Emmett's flirty voice flitted over me, and when he gained no reaction he favored, he shrunk back and groveled.

Instead of this chance meeting being wonderful and full of dancing butterflies like I expected it, it just felt awkward and tense. Why wasn't Emmett jumping in with his nasty jokes and ice-breaker antics anymore? Now, I would have actually appreciated the distraction. "You can, umm, join us if you'd like." But it didn't sound anything like an offer- it was more of a pity-party remark that I wouldn't accept from even her.

I shook my head and straightened my posture; I should have expected something like this from a beautiful girl like Bella. I was okay for good conversation and more private matters, but in public I was no shining star. My looks weren't exceptional, just plain as day with no special pizzazz. "No, we actually just ate." I didn't admit that I would have ordered another round of plates for Emmett and I, had her offer been solid, and if she asked why we weren't eating, I would have forced every bite down my throat and silently threatened Emmett to do the same. But she was as plastic as the carry-away bag in Em's hand. "Bye, Bella." I tried to make it seem casual, as if we would ever indeed see one another again. But that was fruitless; I'm sure we would never, ever see or speak to each other after this. I had embarrassed her beyond comprehension, by daring to show my face and reveal myself in front of her friends. That would be unforgivable on her part.

I would never regret meeting her. Not in the next thousand years.

But in the end, everyone ends up alone.

Losing her, the only one who's ever known,

Who I am, who I'm not, who I wanna be

No way to know how long she will be next to me.

**A/N: OHHHHHHH! Rejection has to be one of the hardest parts of life. I know for a fact! Here's a PROMPT-**

**In your review, tell me one interesting "rejection" story that you have. The first twelve reviewers to do so will receive a sneak peak of the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Talks Like A Gentleman

**A/N: DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight, the series, or anything affiliated with it. Stephanie Meyer owns it all.**

**Wow, this chapter is definitely juicy and just what these characters need to kick it up a notch or two on the steamy side. Tooddles!**

**Review.**

I drummed my fingernails atop my desk, and only stopped when my Chemistry lab partner sneered disgracefully at me. I sent him a sorry smile and shifted so my body turned away from him, towards the isle where I could muse about my week more privately. Last week went so wrong for me, how I could let him just walk away from me like that? I could have called out to him and stopped him, and knowing Edward he would have done anything I asked of him. He would have stayed with me, and I could've ignored the nasty glances Lauren and perhaps Rosalie would have given him! I grit my teeth against the natural reaction to slap my palm against my forehead in frustration; I didn't need everyone thinking I was some loon. "Very thick consistency, dark blue in color, no apparent haze or mist rising from the concoction." Jared Cameron repeated to me as he wrote it in his own lab write-up. I quickly jotted down his observations and did the few conversion factor problems before signing my name and the date. The clock read those glorious numbers and the quiet bell awoke every student from their stupor. "You have clean-up this time, Isabella." Was his last words before he ripped off his safety goggles and snatched his backpack off his chair.

My mouth hung open as I watched him walk away like it was nothing. I looked around and all of the other chemistry partners were taking glee in assisting in lab clean-up. Since when was it about "turns" between us? Given that I missed class last week due to a 24 hour flu, I had never left him alone before and certainly never walked away on a Friday class to leave him a mess. But I pushed aside my frustration and began scrubbing the table and disposing of the chemicals properly, nodding a farewell to Mrs. Estevez on my way out of the empty classroom. Jared was an asshole, yes, but he had never taken his personal dislike out on me as a partner. Did he really take it that hard? I was busy brooding that I didn't pay attention to crowd in front of, effectively sending my stumbling against a railing and dropping my messenger bag; it sent everything flying to the ground, with all of my more personal items on show for everyone to see. No one helped, they just stepped around me and sent idle looks behind their shoulders like I was some social outcast for dropping my bag.

After a few humiliating minutes, I got back up and slung the bag over my shoulder again and headed right for the parking lot. I longed for the familiar comfort of my little Honda Civic (which was nothing compared to Edward's fancy pants Volvo), and just wanted to get the hell out there. But then his wild head of hair caught my attention in the crowd of other students going to their cars; with all inhibition thrown to the wind, I galloped towards him, pushing away taller and stockier bodies than my own- I needed to get to him and keep his attention! It was almost like he had been ignoring me for the past week; it wasn't hard to ignore someone in a large school like USC, and it wasn't like we had any classes together… but I knew the right way to meet up with him, seeing as we had to eventually pass by one another before or after lunch, before or after school. My chances were pretty good, seeing as I knew he preferred parking by the library like I did. It was an eventual process, but now it was a real chance at saying what I wanted to say. Wait, what exactly did I want to say to him?

But I had no more time to think about it, because I lurched forward and touched his shoulder lightly, feeling his bones grow rigid and tense harshly under my touch. Did he know it was me, or was it just the element of surprise that made him almost cringe? I waited patiently as he turned around slowly, and it didn't matter that we were crowding the sidewalk for other students. This needed to happen, whether or not they liked it! "Edward, I…" And there it happened- words were completely lost to me at such a moment. I had so many things I needed to say, but the sentences didn't form and my mouth just hung open like a dead fish's. "I, uh, I just…" I was only making matters worse for myself, I needed to shut up and turn around before he thought I was a complete moron. "Sorry." I finally made the syllables come from my mouth, no matter how hard it was to process them.

His alabaster skin still glistened in the sunlight, and his wild hair was more inhibited today than ever before. I licked my lips to restore some moisture when I felt his confused glare roamed over my face, which I hoped showed another apology I wasn't quite ready to serve. "What do you mean, Bella?" At least he hadn't taken to calling me "Isabella" again; I hated when men did that to me! "What are you sorry for?" Riley and James often did this to me when they knew I didn't quite have the words to apologize, they dragged it out and made me flush with frustration until I thru roughly explained my sorry to them. "I guarantee you, there is no bad blood between us. In fact, we're better colleagues than we were before." I flinched at the scientific way he explained us; how the hell did he think that our blossoming attraction was classified as colleagueship? There was plenty of bad blood, on both sides!

I shifted my weight on opposite feet as I regarded him with the most patient expression I knew. "Last week was an accident, I don't know what I was thinking." I started nervously and grabbed onto the sleeve of his canvas coat, and tired not to stare at how taught his body looked with a fit hoodie tucked under the open coat. "It was stupid, really."

His green eyes hardened, but he didn't make any move to get me off of him, so I took that as a sign to move closer to him. We were so close I could smell his mint breath, and I could see the minuscule pores along his strong jaw line. Edward was one of those lucky guys that looked good no matter what- in a trendy hoodie/coat, in a yellow moo-moo, in nothing at all. "You are so right, Bella, last week should not have happened." I was slightly put off by his tone- were we on the same page? He was talking like he didn't want to know of my existence, I was merely talking about my indifference to him in front of that blonde whore Rosalie called a sister!

"I don't think we're going in the same direction here." I confronted him his easily, never letting go of his sleeve, my very own life preserver. "I was talking about the fact that you had to meet my best friend in front of her judgmental sister… Rosalie did want to spend the afternoon with you, but even she knew her sister would have made it hell on you. I didn't want you to have to endure that." I knew it all just sounded like excuses to him, rightly so, but it was the only truth I could supply him with. What else could I say? I wanted to protect him, what was so bad about that?

"I am humbled, truly, but I am capable of protecting myself from harm- and believe me, I can take quite a few blows to my ego. More so than the type of man that woman would have liked to see you with." Edward was getting more angry by the minute, and it wasn't like i was purposely trying to provoke him or ruin his weekend. I just thought that maybe if we talked, things would work out between us! My plans were failing, epically.

"Who cares what type of guy she wants me to be with?" Lauren always ruined things, always! If it wasn't Rosalie's conquests, it was my own!

"You very obviously do." The nasty glare he sent me nearly knocked me off of my feet; the last time I let a look and a few civil words hurt was when I lived with my parents! How did Edward have that kind of affect on me?

I finally let go of him and took a step back, now that traffic had veered around us on the cemented sidewalk. "Is that what you think? That Lauren monopolizes my love life? You think that I care what anybody has to say about you, or me, or us?" My mind reeled- since when had I refereed towards Edward and I as an "us"? But it was out there and I wasn't taking it back.

"Really? Then prove it, Isabella." He stood still, waiting for me to pull out my cell phone or maybe just walk away. Did he really want me to call up Lauren and explain why I brushed off that boy in the restaurant last week? I doubted she would even accept a call from my phone number! "Prove that you truly have no reservations about my status in the sociality department; prove that it doesn't bother you to be seen with me-" I wanted to point out that I made the biggest leap of his faith by publicly stopping and conversing with him, but it never really bothered me in the first place. So I leaned forward and captured his red lips with my own, not letting go even when he tried to make subtle retraction efforts; they were done in vain, seeing as I was the boss here and what I said, went. I knew the kind of power and control I held over him, and even if he knew it, too, he was attracted to me like a moth to a flame. He loved getting burned, and I was stuck morning the loss of life at every _buzz _that attacked his dignity for the sake of my adoration for him. I only released him long enough to take a breath of my own before straddling of his legs between both of my own, just to feel closer to him.

I wondered, did he know how socially-awkward and gorgeous he was? I didn't care about any status, as I didn't really have any of my own, but I loved that I was kissing the cutest guy on the planet. It was one gigantic plus that he had enormous hands and towering height, so pushing my flat against him was no problem at all. Edward snaked his tongue into my mouth and moved around enough to get a good feel of my mouth. I had only ever frenched one guy before, and it wasn't the best experience in the world. But with him, it felt so natural… and it was a major turn-on when he did this one thing with lower lip. I was out of breath by the time we separated, and some kids around us blanched and muttered rude comments; I flushed a deep red and buried my face into his chest, pulling the sides of collar to feign mask my face. "That's the first time I've ever made-out in public." I murmured softly, my words slightly muffled, but his ears were perked and his hearing was exceptional.

"Are you embarrassed only because of that?" His light voice sounded hopeful, but I knew he wasn't putting too much money on me.

I looked up at him and sent a fake glare. "_Only_? The way I was manhandling you, they probably think I was molesting you!" I called in frustration, seeing as none of this was going according to plan. I suppose it never did. A soft chuckle escaped his chest, and his chest rumbled in mirth beneath my hands.

"That could be true, if I were two feet shorter and half my weight. But then, I'd probably still be bigger than you." He was kidding around, _really_, at a time like this? I punched his arm and turned away, but smiled when his hand caught my wrist and tugged gently. "Come now, Bella, you know I was only taunting you." His playful smirk knocked the wind right of me- wait, what if he started acting like this all of the time? Girls would flock to him by the dozens, and popularity would surely find him… I rolled my eyes at those crazy thoughts. Edward would be the same Edward, until the day he died. "Baby, don't get cross with me. I was only teasing." He smiled wider at the red in my face, since had to know that calling me "baby" was a very courageous move on his part. Some girls hated being given a pet name, some girls loved it. I didn't really have a preference nor dislike for it, but when he said it in that liquid gold way he did… well, I wanted him to say it again.

So I did what I saw Rosalie do to men, and what I saw my mother often times do to my dad. I held out. I moved my lips away from his, and so he dipped his mouth lower to nuzzle my neck oh so softly. It sent a tingling feeling to my nether parts, and I couldn't control the moan that escaped my lips. "Am I forgiven yet?" I shook my head and held onto his shoulders tighter, feeling a few gears shift in my lower belly at his unusually brave moves. "And would you be swayed with a fabulous new pair of shoes, perhaps ones that don't hurt your delicate feet like these?" I knew he was talking about the suede wedges I wore today, and I remember complaining to him more than once that these were favorite, but they hurt like hell. He was definitely forgiven, seeing as he both offered to buy me new shoes and remembered something I told him awhile ago. God, why weren't there more men like him out there?

Then again, he was _my _treasure. I didn't like to share.

**A/N: Who **_**would **_**share an Edward like that?**

**Review! Subscribe! Alert! Favorite! : ). **


	8. Isn't It Enough For You?

**A/N: DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight, the series, or anything affiliated with it. Stephanie Meyer owns it all.**

I held the soaked cloth against his nose and tried to lulled him into peace, and I went as far as latching onto his body when he tried to fight me off. Why couldn't he just take my help? Edward lurched away from my touch, sending his blood all over the place- over my bran new crème-colored cocktail dress and the marble floor beneath us. I cringed when the sight of his mangled cheek and nose came into view, and covered in blood everything looked a lot worse than I remembered from the street in front of the party. "Edward, please stop!" I cried angrily and reached for him again, only to have him pull back. "I'm only trying to help!"

"Look at what happened the last time you attempted to help!" His accusing finger pointed in the direction of my puffy upper cheek, and the emotional jab effected me enough o make my entire flinch away from him- how was I supposed to know the party was going to end like this? He had to know that I hadn't planned on this, or even considered this a worse case scenario!

"Take it easy on her, Edward. She's never been in a fight before in her entire life." Rosalie huffed from behind crossed arms as he leaned her bum against one of his many plush, suede lazy chairs.

"But, hey, any girl willing to take a good left hook is a keeper." Emmett was only trying to lighten the mood, and it put a smile on my face, but it only helped to flare Edward's raging temper. I didn't blame him for me getting hit tonight, why didn't he see that?

"There is nothing funny about a grown man putting his hands on a small girl like Isabella, and my only regret is that I was not able to plummet his face further into the ground-" Edward probably had this whole mantra ready to splutter, but his best friend help up a hand to stop him mid-sentence.

"Okay, it was too soon- sorry about that, but Ed, if we would have stayed any longer the cops would have broken up the party and what position would you have been in? No one at the party would have taken our side, we would have been the bad guys. You would be behind bars right now, riding on an assault charge." I still hadn't known Emmett that well, but wasn't _he _the dense one? How on Earth did he know so much about the legal system or how those things worked? Edward's complex always looked so big and spacious (as it was double the size of the apartment Rosalie and I rented out), but my large cousin, Amazon-woman Rosalie, and someone tall like Emmett, we looked so cozy and put together. It felt homey now, even under the certain circumstances that brought all for us together under Edward's roof.

I suppose to explain how things came to this, I would have to start from the beginning.

**Five hours before-**

I fixed the last flat space of my hair before clipping it back to one side, to keep all hair out of my face and out of my way. Mike Newton parties were some of their very own, but I couldn't make up another excuse and give it to Edward any longer. Just the night before last, he brought up the very same question that Rosalie had been bugging me about for the last month- why wasn't I going out regularly anymore? College parties weren't all that great, and blind dates weren't really necessary anymore since I had already found a friend/confidant that I could both spend time with and converse comfortably- what other reason did someone go out on the town and make themselves available for? It appeased (and complimented) Edward, but Rosalie wanted me to prove it- so she suggested we attend Mike's party… with dates. "You're ready, right?" Her stern voice called from the kitchen, but I rolled my eyes.

"Yes." I didn't mind free beer and some late night entertainment once in awhile, but these things weren't really Edward's _thing_- he wasn't a people-person, at least not the type to converse with everyone about nothing in particular. He liked depth and intellectual responses, not one-worded replies or half grunts. But I convinced him the party would be "different", even if I knew it wasn't, because I really, really, really, really, really wanted to see Rosalie hold her end of the bargain. "Is he here yet?" I called back in a sickly sweet voice, knowing that this got right under her skin. She had promised that if I "took my pet out" she would take my cousin out- since they _were _meant for one another. "James did say he was bringing roses for _his _Rose tonight." I dragged out the last syllable for as long as I could as loud as I could, hoping the nosey ass neighbors heard.

Her heels roughly hit the floor in an elegant pitter-patter and they stopped right outside of my door, opened slightly ajar to let the cool air of our apartment filter through every room. "You know I'm allergenic to flowers." We kept eye contact through the mirror as I fixed the front lace of my short dress, a cool crème color for the warm night here in Los Angeles. "And just let your slimy cousin that he had better keep his hands to himself. How in the world will be able to keep enough balance to play hockey with only one testicle intact?" Her blue eyes were icy, but we had been friends long enough for me to shrug it off and remember that her only defense for her fear of the unknown was false threats. And if James did get his ball(s) cut off, he had it coming, right?

"Oh, cut the crap, Rosalie. You know you're going to have fun with James tonight. You always do." When they were paired together, it was unstoppable fun- between their very own personal banters that involved the innocent bystanders around them to ridiculous dares and embarrassing acts they pressured one another to portray, their pairing made for both chaos and hilarity.

"Two things, Isabella Swan." She held up two finger on one hand and pointed at one index finger with the other. "Firstly, we do not have fun with another, we make fun of each other. Those are two completely different things." Rose pointed to her middle finger with her other index finger and glared directly into my brown eyes. "Second, this will only be the third time we have made acquaintance- stop making it seem like we are friends, or that the tension between he and I is normal. Because it is not. Thirdly-"

"You said there were only two points to your story." I pointed out suddenly, but regretted making a joke in the middle of her speech.

"Thirdly," her recent death glared made me mute, "he has a kid, Isabella. Blaine already thinks I am Auntie Rose, we cant have him assuming that one evening date makes me his new mommy, do you understand?" Of course Rosalie wore a short red dress and tall, black sling-back stilettos- what else did a diva wear?

"So…" I turned around in my swivel chair and folded my hands in my lap, "this a _date_, then?" She was going to either lunge at me to choke me senseless or retort with a nasty remark, but the doorbell rang and we both knew what that meant.

"Oh, I'm not too sure. How about let us ask the new geek rolling through town? Maybe his little wet dreams will suddenly disperse when he realizes that this is in fact, _not _a date." We both knew James would never ring the doorbell or even knock, he would try the doorknob and merely let himself in, even if he was trying to impress a girl. On the rare occasions that the front door was locked while we were home, he would start to bang on the metal door and yell obscenities at us. Edward was the polite gentleman that knew to knock and wait for a woman to open her door. "That this is, in fact, only a certain… dare given by a friend. A way to prove your own worth and boost your ego, it having little to nothing to do with him."

"Stay away from him." I warned her before pushing us out of my room and skipping to the door. He made me so bubbly and happy, like no one ever before. It was addictive. I opened the door and gave him a quick hug before ushering him in and putting the white lilies he offered into aspirin'd water; I stuck them in her art container, purposely making her life hell in whatever small way I could. Before Rose could tint his beautiful mind any, I went back into the living room and hugged him again. He chest rumbled lowly, and the softest man chuckle sounded from his mouth.

"You're happy to see me." He said things like to me, as if it was the biggest mystery to him. Did no one really ever act like this with him, like he mattered? Edward was always so surprised when I showed him attention, affection, or anything similar to it. "And you're going out with me, in that?" His green eyes roamed over my body in a certain light and I couldn't decipher the look he was giving properly. Was he embarrassed that it was so short and kind of see-through in certain clusters of material, and he didn't want to be seen with someone that dressed like that? Or was he angry that I was like this, all clingy and skanky-looking? I was just trying to be doting and considerate!

"You don't like it?" I tried to mask the disappointment in my voice; this dress was very expensive, and I had been saving it for a special occasion. "I-I can, uh…" I swallowed my pride and ignored Rosalie's background cackle of mocking laughter, "I can change if you don't like it." Rose wore what she wanted, wherever she wanted to go- men never complained, and she never offered to slip into something different. But I wanted to make Edward comfortable and happy- if he didn't like the crème mini, I would change no matter how much laughter and enjoyment she got out of it!

"Seriously, Bella?" I cocked my head in a weird direction, trying to understand where he was going with an opening statement like that. "You look stunning, Isabella. I would never ask you change one small detail about you." That put that much more conviction in my belief that this wasn't a bad idea- that this was alright and everything was going to be okay.

But two hours later, we had been at the party and Rosalie and Emmett consumed more alcohol than the entire beer pong opposing team players put together. She was constantly pissing ladies off, with their men hanging all over her- Emmett had his share of jealous boyfriends and chest-puffed A-holes in the crowd. "Do you think maybe we should go now?" I warped behind Edward's back to whisper to my cousin, whom in turn shook his head "no" and turned back to Rose. She was in his arms, telling a story from high school in a slightly slower tune than she usually used.

"I think we should go home." I whispered into Edward's ear, hoping that I could get someone on my side! He nodded eagerly and took my cup of draft away from me. "I have a feeling this wont end well, at all." The tension and pre-war air was suffocating me unmercifully.


	9. My Chick Bad

**A/N: DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight, the series, or anything affiliated with it. Stephanie Meyer owns it all.**

**ARTIST OF THE WEEK- ACDC, and the song I was inspired by was T.N.T. I LOVE that song, and poor Bella at the end of the chapter!**

"Who are you talking to, bitch?" I could hear Rosalie's loud mouth from the opposite side of the room; I rolled my eyes and made a distinct bee line right for her voice- we did not need to get kicked out of a party again because of her attitude! She was always so confrontational and could never walk away from something but she started! "…fuck you, bitch, watch your mouth when you're talking about her!" The grim lines set in my face as I made my way through the crowd, and even if I couldn't see them, I felt my cousin and Edward right behind me. Rosalie was a graceful dancer, yes, but she was also one hell of a fighter. From manly women to womanly men, if they had two legs and weren't smaller than her, the challenge was always accepted. Meanwhile, I was always stuck dealing with the "chump change" as Rosalie liked to call the girls that were smaller than her and wanted a fight.

Hopefully the two girls' claws weren't already out, because I was not looking to get in the middle of a girl fight tonight! But when I finally did make it out, it wasn't a sassy chick Rosalie was facing off with, it was Mike Newton himself. "Shut the fuck up, Rosalie, you're testing me right now." Rose was a badass, yes, but Mike was much bigger than her and much bigger than any other man she had ever tussled with. Even though her Krav Maga classes were both expensive and effective, it didn't mean she was going to win all of her fights. And didn't she just recently get her acrylic nails touched up? Was she really going to jeopardize a set of seventy dollars nails for _him_? "Bella, get your sloppy ass friend!"

"I apologize, Mike. She's just a little drunk-" What was she starting with him about? She didn't have a particular fondness for him, but couldn't she just lay low for a few hours and deal with him? We were at his mercy, at his party.

"Not drunk enough to think you're fuckable, even with a bag over your head." Rosalie wasn't slurring or babbling on about her bitch mother, so I didn't see how she went straight to animosity tonight. "And if I ever hear you talk about Bella being your fuck buddy, I promise you won't ever have sex again." My eyes skirted to his, but there was a demeaning glint in his hazel opals.

"Shut up, Rosalie, you need to sober up and get the hell out of here." I chose not to question it, I only wanted to get out of here before James got involved.

"You need to stop talking to her like that, Newton. I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but you're not anyone special." I rolled my eyes at my cousin's antics- he wasn't helping anything! James was unstoppable once he got rowdy, as was Rosalie. I turned and put a hand on my cousin's heaving chest to calm him.

"Let's just get out of here. Sorry, Mike, we're leaving." It was a shame the night had to end on such bad terms, seeing as I would have to run into this kid at school and all of the local high dive bars for the rest of my college life, but when Rose got into her moods there was no stopping her.

"Yeah, get the drunk slut out of here." Jessica muttered just loud enough for Rosalie to hear, and assuming my hold on her arm was enough, cocked one hip out and crossed her arms like the bad bitch she thought she was. Did she really imagine that you just said that to someone like _Rose _and walked away scat-free? Rose raised her eyebrows in a testy manner, but she didn't lunge forward to snatch her eyeballs out or anything, so I assumed we were good to go; but as I trailed James and Edward through the crowd of the party, I felt her effectively tug at my hand and once free, stomped back to Mike and pounded her hard fists into Jessica's face like a spoiled child ruined his birthday cake. I shrieked her name and pulled at her arms to get her away from the poor girl, but Mike beat me to it and grabbed my friend by her hair to get his girlfriend to safety. "You bitch! You hit me! You bitch!" Jessica kept screaming, tears pouring down her bloody face.

Mike regarded us with pure hatred, and he looked at the five of us like we were dead meat. I cursed the fact that I wore heels tonight of all nights, and the tightest fitting dress in my closet; but it was trivial now seeing as either I was going to get my ass kicked by trying to save my outfit, or protect myself and mourn the loss of the crème number I wore another time. Mike hardly knew James from the magazines his career was featured in, but Emmett and Edward were lost on him- which was why he probably made the next move. His swung and his fist connected flat against James' cheekbone, only causing his face to turn to one side. A hit like that would have knocked me out cold, no getting up from that! Tyler and Joe (whom were the chillest guys I knew) instantly moved in and sized up my boyfriend and his friend. I felt the immediate need to stand in front of Edward and make it crystal clear that he was not the confrontational type and most definitely was not looking for a fight. Emmett and Tyler instantly got to shit talking, about what I wouldn't know, seeing as they hardly even knew one another. But I suppose men found easy things to insult about, and women mostly chose to pick their battles with other girls that they had dirt on.

Or, if you were Rosalie's friend, you learned to skip the bullshit and defend yourself. Rosalie's blonde head was bobbing as she gripped poor Jessica by the nape of her neck and repeatedly brought her face down upon her knee- I wasn't the type of friend that ran out when shit got real, and neither was I the kind of girl that egged a friend on when she was in killer mode. I gripped Rosalie's shoulder in a tight clasp and tried my hardest to pull her off of the little girl, but a rough shove at my shoulder landed me right on my ass in front of the small crowd that gathered to see us. Was a fight that entertaining? Did it make somebody's day to see another person getting their ass kicked? I looked up and there was a girl my height and a little more hefty stature with her hand in my face and a fat mouth jabbering about her friend's safety. I kicked off my shoes and stood up, keeping my shaking hands at my side as to not make her feel intimidated and antagonized. I really did hate fights. "Don't touch me. I was only trying to get my friend off of her-"

"You wanna fight, bitch? I'm not a bitch, I'm not afraid of your skinny ass." I shut my eyes against her insult and took a deep breath. Why were women so ignorant these days? Wasn't this the upper east side? "I'm a real bitch!"

"I thought you just said you _weren't _a bitch, though?" I added sarcastically, enjoying the red in her face. I didn't instantly recognize her, mainly because her fashion was what James deemed "Broho", which I came to understand meant ridiculous hair and Fox brand clothing. "You see, _bitch_," I took a step forward, and she didn't step back, "you're really confusing me now." And I really hated calling other ladies bitches. It was so mean. "So back off." Sure, that wasn't the coolest thing I could have come up with, but I didn't plan on this night being anything but calm and fun.

"Back off? Back off?" She parroted. An evil chuckle escaped her lips before she shoved me by my shoulders again, and this time I wasn't compromised by tall shoes or the surprise factor. I shoved her back with all my might, but on her plight to the floor, she snatched the one shoulder strap of my dress and pulled me down with her. My temper grew with every millisecond I heard the fabric rip- this stupid Broho skank! Did she know how much this little cluster of fabric cost? Did she know I saved up and fell in love with this dress? I slammed open and closed palms against her face as I straddled her on the ground; I hit her because she ripped my dress, I hit her because she called me dirty names, I hit her because she was so damn ugly, I hit her because I received the lowest D of my entire school career last Wednesday, and I hit her because Rosalie could be such a dense girl sometimes.

I didn't take Krav Maga or self-defense classes like Rosalie, and I didn't have many older family members to rough me up when I was younger. This was pure on-the-spot material, as it always was when Rosalie let her temper get the best of her at public functions. This wasn't the worst of it- once, she got in an altercation at a child's baptism party. I blushed just remembering how embarrassing it was to get into a feud with two older ladies about Rosalie's purse. They were both near their late forties, but I had a busted lip for a solid week after that. I only hoped I put that bitch in a walker after that. She reached up and began yanking on my hair, pulling it out of the loose bun I took so much time to perfect for Edward. "Get off of me, get off of me! You're dead, you fucking whore!" All of her mean words were jumbled together as I continued with my work. I thought of all the matters in life that caused me anger and took it out on her- I easily lost fuel in altercations, guilt and embarrassment started to creep in and I felt so silly for even using violence in the first place. This wasn't me, I wasn't the type to start a fight and… this wasn't me, this wasn't how my parents raised their only daughter.

Rosalie POV-

"That's enough Bella, come on, get up!" I screamed at Bella, figuring this was about the time wimps usually called the cops. Honestly, I could care less. My dad worked for the DEA, did they think I would really give a fuck if I got put in a holding cell for a few hours while they processed my paper work and my dad threatened to cut everyone's balls off until I was released? Bella's dad was Chief back where she came from, but I knew the hurt and humiliation her eyes would hold if she ever had to call her daddy dearest and relay the news. "Alright, get up, we need to leave!" I wasn't sure how Isabella got added in the mix, but she was always pulled into the stupid shit I did. That's why she was my best friend, though, and I would always love her as much as she loved me. We were there for one another, we cared enough to defend each other even if the other was wrong in their judgment and doing in the first place.

To my left, Emmett was towering over a slightly shorter Tyler, still waiting for him to make the first move. My eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when I saw Edward's fist connect with Joe Miley's nose and the resounding crack traveled to me. Jessica long before scattered off to hide away and lick her wounds clean- oh, I just hated being called a bitch. Call me a slut, skank, whore, or whatever- those names didn't phase me, they were so kid-ish. But adults used "bitch" to put another below them, man or woman, and I wasn't going to take that kind of disrespect from anyone. I was Rosalie Annabelle Hale, nobody got away with disrespecting me. Joe was out cold, and I found myself smiling like a fool. So, that was why Bella took an interest him- he was so full of surprises, I liked the little nerd already! He was in an expensive dress shirt and chinos, and even if I first blanched at the thought that I was going to enter a party with a dude looking like that, I began to understand that he made it work for him. Girls drooled, maybe it was the goofy smile he wore around Bella, or the prime physique he was trying his hardest to hide?

In any sense, Bella deserved him. I didn't doubt he was so taken by her, just look at his new sacrifices- an asshole would have walked away from this, but he stayed. All because of my hothead; I grabbed him by his elbow and pointed at Bella. "Help me, she won't get off of the nasty slut!" Edward's eyes widened when he saw his dainty little butterfly with a peak of her underwear showing and fists flying like a madwoman. I was usually the last one to be pulled off, not ever Bella! James was rolling around with Mike still, seeing as they were both Valley Champions in wrestling at USC. Well, James had graduated some time before and Mike was still attending, but their skill was so matched it was funny. I liked it a lot that James felt the need to defend me- I had always assumed her was some punk hockey player with a bonehead, but from the in depth conversation from earlier and the fool he was making of himself now, I began to think differently.

Bella POV-

I felt strong hands grab my underarms and yank me from the ground, while another set of softer hands pulled at the hemline of my dress. I was still kicking and trying to fling myself at the unsavory girl lying on the floor, but his arms wrapped around me so tight, movement was no longer an option. "Calm down, Bella- get a grip of yourself, babe!" Babe? My eyebrows furrowed at Edward's voice, since when did he start calling me "babe"? I mean, I definitely liked it, but why now of all times? I was sure I had effectively scared him off by turning into an ugly monster back there; I would completely understand if he never wanted to see me again after tonight. I relaxed in his arms and when he finally let me loose, I took a small step away from him and towards a now sober Rosalie. Even if he had called me an endearment, I wasn't going to expect him to have any of the same feelings for me. He was capable of getting through this situation without putting hands on another human being, why hadn't I?

Emmett and Tyler were trying their hardest to keep James and Mike separated, and like the dumb ass I was, I strutted forward and considered my cousin in a serious manner. "We're leaving, so quit this. You can catch him another time, James. But not now." We were so outnumbered here- I was only glad that more jerks from the crowd hadn't joined in on the _fun _to make some sort of name for themselves. And I prayed to dear God that no one had a phone or flip camera out to catch the fight and upload it onto the internet- that was not what I needed! My hulk of a cousin nodded and shook off Edward's friend's arms around him, but as I turned around to signal to Rosalie that we get the fuck out of there, a swift open palm caught me right across my face. It was my first actual injury of the night, and even if it wasn't with Mike's closed palm or full blow, it still hurt like hell. I gasped and clutched the stinging skin, and only heard rather than saw my sweet little Edward rush Mike to the ground and did with him as I probably did with the Broho. I just wanted to leave, I didn't want to witness anything more.

**A/N: Review with your craziest party/fight story and you'll get a sneak peak of the next chapter in ONE day!**


	10. Get Right

**A/N: DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight, the series, or anything affiliated with it. Stephanie Meyer owns it all.**

**ARTIST OF THE WEEK-**

**Jennifer Lopez- "Get Right". don't ask me why she inspired me, the song was just on repeat on my ipod.**

Rosalie helped walk James out to her car, where she would drive them back to our house for the night while Emmett crashed on the couch. Edward had been in the restroom for over an hour, as I was able to finish a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an entire episode of House before I finally had enough and knocked on the hallway bathroom door harshly. "Edward, please. Come out so we can talk." The frozen meat took most of my swelling away, but it was the emotional pain that I needed to let go of. I needed to be reassured that I hadn't caused him to hit me- I wanted to be told that I was never going to be hit like that again. The door was unlocked, so I pushed it open and stepped through.

There was blood everywhere- the sink was filled with his watered down spill and his clothes was stained with the red lush. "Go, Isabella! I'm nearly finished." He was trying his best to wipe away the fast trickling liquid without touching his nostrils, as I knew he was in immense pain, but he was going about this all wrong. He knew I was very sensitive to blood, and I did feel sick at the sight, but he was my lovely little boyfriend. I couldn't let him bleed out in his own home, could I?

"Here…" I walked around him and wedged myself between the sink and his body so that I could inspect his wound. His nose was bent in a painful, awkward position, causing a pang of guilt to shake me. "This is all my fault, Edward. It was a stupid idea to go to that party."

His calm exterior made him all the lovelier. "You could not have predicted the end of the night, Isabella." Edward sighed deeply and rested his hands on either side of me. I felt weird in his oversized T-shirt and white half-calf socks, but it was almost comfortable when I was around him. Even if he looked kissable (minus him covered in blood and reeking of sweat) I was first concerned with his nose. James often came to me to slide his nose back in place after grueling games, or a dirty bar fight- he said it was one of the most painful experiences and couldn't ever bring himself to do it with his own hands. I reached forward and barely touched a digit to it when he groaned loudly in pain and hisses at me, pulling away from my hand as though I had burned him with an iron. This wasn't going to be easy, but I knew he would rather get this over with than live a harshly crooked nose.

I took him by the hand and sat him down on the mahogany cover seat of the toilette; his bathroom was so much bigger than mine, I was almost jealous! His towels were monogrammed and the toileyye paper had that special little fold only maids knew how to craft. I rolled my eyes at that, of couse Edwrad would have hired help. He still looked weary, but that expression changed all too quickly when I guided his hands along my legs and up his large shirt and positioned them to cup my breasts individually. I almost expected him to pull away, but his eyes only widened as he stared from my face to the shirt that his hands were under.

Had he touched a woman's boob before, I wondered. It seemed like an all-new experience to him, and for that I was grateful; I swiftly positioned his nose in place with a loud crack. Instinctively, his hands squeezed in surprise and more pain, twisting my sensitive mounds in agony. "Fuck, Bella!" That was the very first time he cursed in front of me, but his hands hadn't left my chest. "That hurt, a lot!" Still, his hands stayed where they were. "It… stings." He cursed some more under his breath and his fingers moved slightly with his string of murmurs.

I looked down at where I assumed his hands would be under my borrowed shirt. "Your hands are cold."

He snatched said objects away from their doing in an instant; it was almost comical. "I…uh, well, uh… you put my hands there!" His tone was accusing, but his eyes were pleasing.

"You're making it seem like I molested you!" I fired back. My cheeks flooded with a blush in all of my embarrassment and sudden anger. I kind of wanted to rip his head off and then make out with him all at the same time.

"Yeah, well, you might as well have!" Edward blushed as well, and even if he had raised his tone at me, I knew he wasn't angry. Humiliated, maybe, but not angry. I was going to scream another reply, but the moment's hilarity got to me. Were we really arguing about my boobs and his hands? His cheeks grew redder as my laughter got louder; how could he not see the humor in his? "What in the world are you laughing at, Bella?" Edward's green eyes were smoldering, but I was already hunched over with one hand covering my open mouth and the other holding my spasming stomach. Were these tears coming to my eyes? "You are laughing me, aren't you?" How was I not supposed to laugh? He was basically ready to turn me into the local police station for sexual harassment!

I shook my head eagerly, trying my hardest to bite back a mocking grin, and placed my hands on his chest, trying my hardest to calm the giggles. "No, I'm not, baby!" It slipped from my mouth, but there was no taking it back; we shared an odd little look that translated into "that was new, but not unwanted", and so I reached up and planted a kiss on his parted lips. I sucked on his lower lip for the hell of it, and the risk of him not liking it was all-consuming. He gripped my hips and slammed my bum on the bathroom counter in the midst of our flames. "Edward!" I giggled again when his fingers went under my shirt and glided around my lower naval.

The door was pushed open and a sleepy, all-but-naked Emmett walked in and wove around us to the toilette. I gasped and tried to hide behind Edward's collar, where dried blood settles. "Jesus, his bedroom is next door, Bella the Nymphomaniac." He grumbled lowly.

I scoffed. "Edward is the insatiable demon you should be chastising!" But then I glanced over Edward's shoulder and Em's very expansive chest filled my vision. When he saw the open-mouthed look I had, he instinctively smirked.

"Like what you see? I'm into the shy, freaky chicks that like to get it on in the restroom-" He was so full of himself! What made him think that one nice body meant instant attraction from all females with a pulse? He was a pig! I said so as I hurled a brush at his head, missing by only an inch.

"Watch out, psycho broad! Get your girl and do something with her, Edward." Emmett teased lightly, loving me all the more for throwing shit at him. He flipped a small latch on the toilette seat and reached in the pocket of his underwear to relieve himself, and I couldn't believe he had the nerve to do something like that before me.

"Emmett." Edward growled in a warning, causing him to stop his asshole-ness all at once.

"Fine, but get out! I need to piss." I hopped off the counter in no time at all and tugged Edward by his hands to where I figured his bedroom had to be. I liked that he lived in a townhouse, not a small apartment like my own. I hoped Edward wouldn't take my two second stare hard, as I was just… _overwhelmed _by the sight of a naked chest so finely made, not _attracted_. His house had one guestroom, but this place was too quiet and spacious for me to stay the night in there alone. I wanted to be right there with him. When he touched the bed, I pulled his much larger body on top of mine and clung to his shoulders like white on rice. I loved sculpted bodies, and I loved Edward's most. I occupied his mouth while my hands ran down his chest until I half unbuttoned, half ripped his nice shirt and then dismissed his wife beater. I relished in the suppleness of his biceps and occasionally yanked at his messy bronze hair to earn a throaty moan. I was learning to play his body like a fine-tuned violin.

There were very few make-out sessions before Edward, but no guy had gotten this far with me, and none of them knew my weakness of my thighs. But he dove right int and gripped a fleshy part of my upper thigh before hitching my leg to his waist, where I could feel different parts of him; I tried to keep my mouth shut, but a shaky groan escaped my lips. Were mouthy girls in bed his thing, or a complete turn-off to him? I took his short breath as a yes and became more responsive to his wandering hands. They were sort of awkward at first and stayed away from my underwear like my vagina was the plague, but for that I was glad. I didn't want this to go that far yet… that didn't go to say that I wasn't going to see _his _body, though. He explored my mouth deeper with his tongue as I fiddled with his belt buckle and then his fastening button. We didn't need to share words- our eye gestures and thrusts of body parts were enough. I understood he was as inexperienced as me, but I had a little more open curiosity than he did. When I pushed his slacks down far enough for him to kick them off, I slipped a nonchalant hand in his knickers and searched around for own amusement.

His manhood was standing at attention and I encountered two large testicles on my way there; I would never understand the male gender- why were they so proud of three very ugly, hanging genitals? Women were coves, men were just… bananas and oranges. I tried to not laugh out loud about where my trail of thought went off to and focused on pleasing him a way I had never pleased another man before. I kept wondering if I was doing it right, but I took his husky moans and harbored breathing as an indication I was in the ballpark. Edward couldn't concentrate on my mouth anymore, just stared into my eyes as he leaned his weight on two locked-out arms, which dipped into the mattress with the increasing pumping and pressure I applied to his cock.

That was a really kinky words, I couldn't believe I almost said it aloud.

_Did I just say "kinky"? That word is so awful, why am I repeating it in my head?_

"Bella… Bella- stop! I'm not going to be able to keep myself from…" But I didn't listen to his half-hearted plea. I knew what he was trying to say to me, anyway. Rosalie warned me that seamen had a certain foul smell and taste, and that I should save oral for a birthday gift, or last wish before death. But what I was doing now, a sexual interaction with my hand, wasn't so bad and weird- I almost enjoyed the purely pleasured look on his face that sometimes contorted painfully. I bit my lip and tucked another hand in his panties, wondering just how his testes would feel in my hand. I didn't know that it would tenfold the pleasurable experience he was having, or that both of those sensations were going to push him over the edge so quickly. It was so sexy how he bucked into my hands and pressed into me- there was so much friction and unbelievable chemistry, I nearly exploded with dynamic appeal. I liked this,,, the discovery and uncertainty, and I liked experiencing all of it with Edward.


	11. No More Blonde Barbies

**A/N: DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight, the series, or anything affiliated with it. Stephanie Meyer owns it all.**

**ARTIST OF THE WEEK- Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You". **

"Job well done, Miss Swan." My physics instructor quietly praised me as he handed me back stapled papers, a fifteen page assignment describing Lox's Theory. It was so boring after the third page of explanation, that with some very creative persuading, Edward finished the assignment the next day. I didn't like using him like that, but he got oral sex out of it. "Just when I was beginning to think this course wasn't for you, you turn this paper in!" I only listened to every few words as I flipped through the pages of printed papers. What... what was going on?

"There are no red marks. Not even a score." I looked up at Mr. Patti with a perplexed expression; I felt like I was going to have a mental breakdown. He always flooded my work with red markings and rude comments in the margins, with squiggled zigzag lines at any open space on the paper.

"That's correct." Mr. Patti was in his late forties, but that icy smile and withdrawn look told me he had little to no family. Maybe a long-distance girlfriend, maybe. "Perfect scores don't need to be marked. That would ruin the paper." I contained an eye roll, he never minded ruining all of my other papers! "I have special markings in small areas to confirm validity if you were to ever need to give this to me, I assure you. Any way, good work." And he turned around and began talking with another student. My heart fell into my chest; my very first (and probably only) perfect score was not even my own work, it was someone else's! How did he not realize that while grading it?

After my classes were over, I spent my Friday in leisure before cleaning up the living room and whipping up some quick lasagna. I texted Edward & Emmett to come over, seeing as Edward & I were leaving to a Jazz concert at nine tonight anyway. Why not feed everyone while I was at it? James stopped by right before Rosalie waltzed through the door in gym clothes; was it just me or was the chemistry between them more charged than before? "Hey, Rosa." I greeted her softly. She nodded in my direction and skirted her eyes away from my cousins' before turning to Blaine.

"Hey, Blainey Bear." I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous nick name for him. "Wanna watch a movie in my room?" We had a strict "no movie" rule for the living room's TV, seeing as the beloved flat screen was too good for HDMI hookups & DVD player cords. Only games, movies on cable TV, and regular cable shows played on that television set. Rosalie had DVDs, video games, a DVD/VHS player, and a game system all for Blaine's leisure. He nodded happily, bouncing up to meet her, leaving his toy planes and Hot Wheels scattered on the white carpet of the living room. I loved the look Rosalie got when she was talking to Blaine- it was like she loved him just as much as I did, not caring that he technically wasn't blood to her. What they said wasn't true; blood was not thicker than water. Blood was shady, it was always a different color & hue; water was upfront, crystal clear about it's intentions, and always the same color.

"Am I invited?" James interjected cheekily, and the glowing smile fell right off her face.

"No, go away. What else do you want? Blaine is here, we're watching him, you can leave already." She eyed him in a hard gesture, but he just sat there on the kitchen stool with his elbows behind him leaning against the little counter. I was standing behind him in the middle of the kitchen, watching through the door-less room as she held Blaine's hand tightly.

"I'm not dropping Blaine off, we're just visiting. I figured Bella was cooking, she's put it all over Dotcom how much this special Edward guy loves her lasagna." James taunted me before turning back to her. "So, no. I'm not leaving unless Blaine goes with me."

Rosalie was fierce when she let go of Blaine's hand and walked up to his father, face to face. "Shut up, no one cares about you or your Dotcom account. Blaine is my nephew, I don't have to release him to you. You should leave, though. There's nothing more awkward than an unwanted guest at dinner."

I bit my lip and turned back around to finish setting the tiny kitchen table; how the fuck was I going to fit Emmett's big butt, Edward's very broad frame, Rosalie's Amazon Woman self, and James' huge ego? All of us on that four-seater table? Not to mention little Blaine & I! But I figured he and I were destined for the stools on the side compartment of the dining area/parlor, where James currently was. I just finished serving our plates when Emmett and Edward rang the doorbell; James shot up to answer it and let them in after doing those weird male handshake/hugs they do. "Smells good." Emmett all but growled as he slammed down on a chair and took the silver fork I offered him.

Rosalie sat down and tried her best to ignore James as she began slicing her meal into smaller parts. "Need some help?" He offered smarmily. Rosa hissed a foul "piss off" to ward his advances off, but it only made the chase that more interesting to James. He kissed her ass and tried as hard as any man could to get her to converse with him; she, in turn, paid more attention to the one-track minded Emmett. He was stuffing his mouth and sitting with such a barbaric sense. Emmett even ate his food with his fork bent in that odd angle only _manly _men did! I shook my head at Rose and James' lame attempt at a relationship and instead turned my attention to Blaine, whom wanted my assistance in feeding him his meal. Within the next hour, Emmett excused himself and James came up with some lame excuse to leave his son with us. I loved my little Blainey bear, but I made plans… so I was all too surprised when Rosalie acted casual as she offered to care for him while I was gone.

Poor Blaine.

Poor Rosalie.

**After Dinner-**

"I'll just be five minutes!" I called to Edward from my open door. Although I felt bad for Rosalie, seeing as she was stuck with a six year old on a Thursday night, I liked the fact that she stepped up to responsibility and decided to take care of him. James couldn't, I promised Edward a night of no complications, and Blaine was really missing alone time with his Aunt Rosie. "Do you want me to wear the sheer blue one or the olive top with the bow?" Edward liked when I wore clothes to fit me well, but he wasn't a big of the shirts and dresses that showed my tummy or anymore than mid thigh. But I liked materials like sheer and crop tops, and little skirts or short rompers. But as much as he disliked the fact that I loved dressing to impress, his eyes devoured my shoulders, legs, and navel when I showcased them.

He cleared his throat from the living room. "Uh, the olive one." I rolled my eyes. Of course he would pick that one! While the sheer bluish one was completely see through, the olive one tied in the front and gave a glimpse of the sides of my hips above my blue jeans. Lately, ever since I was starting to hang out with Edward more, I noticed I had gained some weight. Ten pounds in three months, no biggie, but I found that the weight didn't bother me like it did before. Edward liked the curves and mounds that I had, he didn't want me stick skinny. I liked that about him.

"Ready." I announced with a flourish as I grabbed my handbag and called a goodbye to Rosalie; this was going to be the first time we were on time to something. On the car ride there, we held hands and he chatted on about a rocket he was building for a local competition, but all I saw were his lips moving. While I was not his year of college, I was also not on his level. On his spare time he built rockets, listened to classical music, attended galas and banquets, watched Republican convention re-runs... I watched TV dramas, attended some pretty mediocre parties, drank a lot, shopped for more clothes to go out in, spent time dating losers- we were so far off from each other, but it was a nice change. He was a smarter version of myself when he told sexual jokes and used sarcasm, which wasn't very often. "That's so interesting, babe." I offered politely when I felt it was necessary. If he could sit there and listen to me babble on about my family drama & day to day Sophomore problems, I could be empathetic and listen to his problems. Edward squeezed my hand in a loving gesture and sent me one of those beautiful smiles; moments like these made me gush with giddiness. He was so handsome in a subtle way, with no huge ego, and he really did care about me. We weren't in love or in any way perfect, but it felt nice for something to be this easy. We got out of the car at the same to his disappoint but I shrugged it off, he had a million more times to open the door for me; Edward stood next to me as we walked from the three story parking area to the concert arena.

There was still uncharted waters between us when it came to public displays of affection. We were friends, experimenting with one another's bodies, while maintaining that softness and casual attitude that "just friends" had. We weren't a couple, but we went on friend dates and such, even if it felt weird when we were out. He didn't really hold my hand or touch my waist like I was used to with previous dates. Edward was simply there, shining like the brilliant being he was. He was telling me in my ear what the orchestra composed of and what the songs meant, until a strong jingle arose from his phone. I looked at him oddly when he excused himself and took the phone call; since when did he choose anyone over jazz music? This was his life! But I sat there in the premier seating, looking completely crestfallen, until he came back to his seat. "Well?" I asked in a pushy manner.

Edward had this constipated expression on. "It was my sister." From his childhood stories and adult retellings, I could take that Alice was both controlling and completely scorned from everyone in her life. From the baby daddy that was long gone, to her biological father that died when she was only eight years old- males weren't her forte. "She has an emergency for work, and the babysitter is threatening to leave Gracie alone at the house. Alice wanted me to watch her, but I told her we were out. I don't want to ruin this for you."

My smile was wide. "That's great, babe, but what is your sister going to do? There's no one else to watch her?"

Edward shook his head. "I love Gracie dearly, mostly because the Cullens are few and far in between here. We don't have a lot of family, and the type of friends we accumulate aren't the kind that will offer to care for your five year old." I nodded in understanding, even if I didn't completely get it. My family and friends loved to watch each other's kids, and for free! When I lived in Sacramento, my mother was in a ladies club that switched off babysitting days so that the others could have some time for themselves!

I bit my lip in contemplation; there was no doubt about how much he cared for Gracie, she was the only girl other than me that lived in framed photos all over his house. I mean, at first it was weird that Edward wanted to frame pictures of me, but I soon replaced them with pictures of both him and me. It was a lot less creepy that way. "Come on, let's go get her." Even if I was only slighting enjoying the music, I felt that it was important that I prove to his sister that I wasn't the kind of "girlfriend" to be a bitch and keep him away. Did he tell his family I was his girlfriend?

I hoped not. "You want to leave? We've only been here for..." Edward was spluttering.

"Shut up, come on." I got up and took his hand to lead him out of the main doors. He paid seventy dollars a ticket for the show, but that was nothing to him! I'd pay him back later. We got back in the car and merged into traffic. "Who knows if that snatch will leave Gracie all alone? We can just pick her up and do something." I shrugged, thinking of a million more kid friendly functions than the one we were just at. Blaine would cry tears of boredom if I ever took him there. I wasn't sure where Alice lived, but either it was very close to my house, or he was dropping me off.

"We?" Edward asked in surprise. "You don't want me to drop you off?" So this was the first time a date ever got interrupted? There was a handful of times James had a surprise meeting, conference, interview that he wouldn't take Blaine to, so I would drop whatever I was doing and play mommy for the evening.

"No." I patted the open front of my wool pea coat. "You already have me all dressed up. Why go home? And anyway, I want to finally meet this Miss Gracie. She _is _my stiff competition." He chuckled at that and acted casual as he put his hand on my knee; it felt weird and a little too close at first, but then it started to feel... just comfortable. Edward turned his car around and was about to jump on the 180 when he suddenly turned the car back around and made the drive to my house again. Did he change his mind, was he deciding to just leave me at my apartment? I updated a status and uploaded a picture on my Dotcom account while I was waiting.

We pulled up to the parking space he always used, he was a creature of habit. "Go get Blaine." I looked at him with inquisition. "We can take them out to eat, it would be nice for them to meet each other." I couldn't help but smile lovingly at him; I even leaned over his seat and gave him the kiss of his lifetime before hopping out and bounding up two flights of stairs. What kind of person agrees to a third floor apartment?

"Rosa?" I called happily from the door. "Hey, dude, I'm home!"

"Thank god." I heard her scream from her room as she stepped out, her blond hair in a mess. "Bella, when you're not here, he is a hyper mess! I couldn't get him to lay down or stay in one spot. He's in the bath, but it took twenty minutes to get him to stay in! At one point, he was running around the house naked! I just cleaned up the wet spots in the carpet and the mess he made with the raviolis. Why are you back so early?" The tears in her voice were pitiful, so I sent her to her room and promised I would give her the details later on. I took a clean outfit of his out of my closet and dressed him in record time.

Blaine insisted on singing an Adele song he heard on the radio, humming on the top of his lungs, while I slipped his socks and shoes on.

"Where are we going? Am I gonna get a new toy? Is this for my birthday? Did you know my birthday is October the 2nd, 2006?" He could ask a million questions about the dirt and the wind if his interest was piqued enough.

I rolled my eyes as I snatched up my wallet and purse and held his hand as we walked downstairs. "No, Blaine, because I wasn't there when you were born." I was there, I even helped hold one of Aimmee's legs as he came into this world.

"Is that sarcasm, Auntie Bell?" I smirked at his new word. James couldn't teach him how to tie his shoes, but he could teach him the word "_sarcasm_"? "Uncle Riley says that's not my real birthday, he said daddy found me in a dumpster and made up a name and birthday for me. Is it true?" Blaine's whole facial features morphed in agony as he awaited my answer. Riley was an idiot for feeding him those lies, but Aimmee could be the equal to a dumpster.

"No, you were not found in a garbage can. Your mother gave birth to you in a hospital, she picked out your name." I explained quickly as we approached the car with tinted windows. I helped him in the car, and since he was well over 60 pounds, there was no need for a booster seat. When he was content, I went back to the front and we headed to his sister's house again. "Honey, this is my friend, Edward." His hand on my knee tensed a little at the word "friend", but I tried my best to ignore it. "Babe, you know Blainey." My little Blainey Bear... what would I have done without him? It was like God made people make mistakes, just so that others could find happiness. The worst thing that ever happened to Aimmee was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Edward held his gaze in the rearview mirror. "Very nice to meet you, sir."

Blaine smiled. "Hello, sir!" I laughed quietly at their weird interaction. I searched for family friendly places around the area on my cell phone's Google app, but it looked like Dave & Busters was going to win. "Where are we going? Where are we going?" Blaine chirped.

I hushed him. "Dave & Busters, I think. You would think that Pomona would have more to offer." I shrugged.

Edward sent me an odd look. "Dave & Busters? Why not Chuck E. Cheese's?" Blaine immediately began jumping up and down and shouting agreements to the statement.

"Two five year olds in a funhouse and no beer? I don't think so." Rosalie and I made that mistake before, but never again! I shifted a little in my seat and at the stop light, gave him a small peck on the lips before it turned green again.

"Ewww!" Blaine called from the backseat; that kid had no shame, and nothing close to a word filter. He just said what he wanted, uncaring of the consequences. His reaction made the both of us laugh.

"What was that for?" Edward asked as he turned a second street. From the direction we were going, I could only assume she lived in the Calabasas Heights.

"For being such a great guy." I supplied lamely. I didn't really have an answer for that, his lips were always so pink and full and practically begging me to kiss them. His mouth was addictive, plainly. With one hand I traced the lines of his fingers and in the other my cell phone was working its hardest to load the latest notifications on Dotcom. "You know, you really should ruin dates and drive me around town to pick up kids more often. It really puts me in the mood." I teased him softly, not wanting to come off in a complaining way, but in an ironic tone.

"Or maybe I'll just do your physics homework again." His cocky little smirk made me bite my lower lip in wanton. I hit his shoulder playfully.

"Oh," I exaggerated the syllable, "or you can get another bloody nose in a fight. That always turns me on." I winked suggestively at him. Edward only shook his head and went back to conversating with Blaine about cars and spaceships. We pulled up to a one story cottage-looking spot in an open neighborhood, very close to Little Italy. The family had all this money and _this _was where she chose to live- in the contemporary, very alive network of LA? Why not the Hills, or down Rodeo Drive? If Rosalie and I could both afford it, we'd be out of Pomona and in downtown LA, or in an ancient condo in Hollywood. Edward was quick when he went in and came out, a quiet-looking girl with black hair and blue eyes trailing behind him. Her long hair reached past her tiny shoulders and stopped at her elbows; I imagined this mother of hers playing with the raven locks all day long: braiding, straightening, curling... and the small girl was just beautiful. Just looking at Gracie reminded me that Alice was not biologically a Cullen; her hair was black, eyes were blue, and height was tiny. Edward has russet hair, cute golden eyes, a broad outline, and was very tall. There was just no way they were related, unless the mother only contributed their alabaster skin color. "Hello, Miss Gracie." I greeted her sweetly as she buckled her seatbelt all on her own.

Those blue eyes pierced me. "Hello, Miss Bella." Her tone was sweet, and her expression was so mature for her age. It was as if she was thoroughly pleased with meeting me, not like how a kid is when they're introduced to an adult. "How was your day?" Her little head even tilted in acquisition.

"My day was..." I looked to Edward for help. Why was she sound so freaking smart? "My day was great, and yours?"

She sighed heavily, as if things were so weary on her mind. "A shower in the morning, then breakfast. My mother made blueberry waffles, even though she knows I don't like them." It was hard to remember that I was speaking to a child, not an adult. "Then I went to school, where Timothy Wiley bothered me all day long. Margery picked me up after school and brought me home, like she always does." She caught on to the confused look I threw Edward. "Margery is my nanny. I don't like her that much."

I chuckled. "Blaine has a nanny, also. What is your nanny's name, Blainey Bear?" He gave me one of those "you're embarrassing me" expressions before bringing his tiny collared jacket up around his reddened cheeks. "Well, actually a _manny_; the nanny is male." I explained quickly. "His name is Damon, isn't that right, Blainey?" I didn't understand why my nephew was suddenly so shy about everything. He usually was a blabber mouth around new girls, of any age! "This is my nephew, Blaine, by the way. Blaine, say hi to Gracie." I urged him softly.

When he refused to look up, I gave her a knowing wink; I could only imagine that his sudden shyness stemmed from his newly developed crush. "How many brothers & sisters do you have? I wish that I had brothers and sisters." Gracie added wistfully.

"I don't have siblings, I'm an only child." I was grateful she was so conversational and welcoming, and through conversation we found some middle ground. "So we're a lot alike."

But she wasn't interested in that. "Than how do you explain that Blaine is your nephew? Aren't people aunts and uncles when their brothers and sisters have babies?"

"Yes, but Blainey's dad is a very close cousin of mine. We are just like brother and sister, and so I am Blaine's aunt." I finished simply, not liking how precise she was with her arguments. Her thinking was far too fine tuned for her age.

"Do not play ignorant, Gracielia." Edward was stern with his words, and even used her birth name to get his point across. I was turned halfway to meet her eyes, but in my sidelong vision I saw Blaine's teary little eyes moisture. We would be fine until she made my little baby cry. "Your Uncle Jasper, you know that he is only a cousin of ours. You call him uncle, but he is not your mom's brother." Gracie stared hard at the floorboard and nodded in silence. "Apologize to Isabella for your rude behavior."

"Sorry." Gracie murmured softly from beneath her raven locks.

I smiled and put a consoling hand on her small knee. "Its fine, Gracie, I understand that you were only curious. So tell me..." I asked a load of questions, in which she took glee in answering back with full-length answers and in-depth details. Midway through her ranting, Edward began to rub my knee affectionately, completely distracting me. I sent him a risky little grin before turning back to Gracie. "Really?" I gave appropriate little remarks when I felt the need.

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, I have one hundred and twenty four dolls! All brown haired, just like you." 124 Barbie dolls, and they weren't blonde? Whoa, how did she start that sort of a collection? "I don't like blonde hair, and my mom will never buy me a colored doll." I wanted to laugh at the ludicrous way she was so honest, but it was saddening that Edward's sister took to racism against a Barbie doll. "I love brown hair, just like yours, Bella." It was only polite to smile and nod, but it left me feeling at odds. I initiated a conversation between my nephew and her before turning back to Edward.

"Your sister is a racist?" I asked lightly, only wanting to come off jokingly halfway.

"Against black and Asianic Barbie dolls, yes." He supplied quickly. "My mother and father would never allow her to have dolls of another ethnicity, so she does the same to her own daughter. The pregnant Barbie is also off limits." Edward added lamely, as if he could really pull that off as a 'morale' decision of hers.

"But really, a Barbie doll restriction? And look at what it has done to Gracie. She won't buy a blonde Barbie doll. They're all blonde!" I exclaimed.

He sighed heavily and pulled into a shopping center, driving around until Chuck E. Cheese's entrance appeared. "It's just yellow haired dolls that she rejects, she truly finds distaste in blond hair period. Blond men and women, blond barbies, blond hair on drawings of people... Alice has taken her to a psychiatrist for her little issue, but the doctor said it all leads back to the fact that her biological father has blond hair." It was hard to believe, I mean, who hates a whole category of people just because of "blonde"?

"But you said her father left when Alice was still pregnant. How does she know what he looks like?" I had so many questions, with so very little answers on the table! He had to start explaining things. He took a peek at the backseat from his mirror and shook his head.

"Later, alright?" He promised me, and thus far he hadn't lagged on any promises, so I nodded and gave him the directions to the nearest kid's restaurant. We spent hours in that place, smelling of artificial cheese and pasty tomato sauce, while the very entertaining mouse mascot took glee in scaring the shit out of Blaine. We took a picture of us both holding our lovelies next to the dreadful Chuck E Cheese mouse before calling it quits and driving back to Alice's house. It was a tired blur after that, but I was aware of Edward carrying my purse and Blaine up the stairs and helped us into my dark apartment. He kissed me goodnight and we left the interaction at that; even if I was morbidly exhausted, I was still aware of Blaine's inquiring little eyes. Edward and I had only known each other for a few months, I didn't want my nephew to think that he had a new uncle or anything.

**A/N: review, review, review.**


End file.
